KINGSTON, Jamaica — Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, Olivia ‘Babsy’ Grange and former prime minister Portia Simpson Miller have expressed sadness at the passing of Captain Horace Burrell, President of the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF).

Grange and Simpson Miller conveyed sympathy to Burrell’s family, friends, the executive of the JFF and the football fraternity.Burrell, who was 67 years old, had been ill for the past year and was undergoing treatment at the Johns Hopkins Cancer Treatment Center in Baltimore, Maryland.He died this afternoon.For her part, Grange described Burrell as a patriot who was fully committed to the development of the sport in Jamaica.He made history in leading Jamaica, the first English speaking Caribbean country to a FIFA World Cup final.She said that with Captain Burrell as head of the JFF, Jamaica gained respect on the field of play and in the halls of power within FIFA, CONCACAF and even within the global Olympic movement where he served as Vice President of the Jamaica Olympic Association.“Football in Jamaica has lost a cornerstone of the sport, a man who was unwavering in his commitment.“The country owes Captain Burrell a huge debt of gratitude for his work and his legacy will forever influence Jamaica’s football. His passing has left a void that will take some time to be filled.“We join the football world in mourning the loss of a great Jamaican, but remain hopeful that our words of support will bring solace to his family and all Jamaicans.”Meanwhile, Simpson Miller said Burrell’s place is cemented in the region’s sporting history as he was the leading force in taking the Reggae Boyz to the 1998 World Cup in France.“Captain Burrell with his flamboyance and bravado achieved this feat because he believed in himself and in the power and skill of the Jamaica people. He was never afraid to knock on doors and think outside of the box as he tried to make the young Reggae Boyz a success.“Captain Burrell also used his position in CONCACAF to advance Jamaica’s football and ensure that we were treated fairly.“He exhibited admirable corporate social responsibility and was always giving whether through his bakery or helping young football talents,” Simpson Miller said in a statement this evening.Burrell was the owner of the Captain’s Bakery and Grill and Captain’s Aviation Services, which he founded in 1995 and 2008 respectively.“Jamaica, Football and the sporting fraternity have lost a giant and I have lost a friend… Walk good my dear Captain! May your soul rest in peace and light perpetual shine upon you,” Simpson Miller added.