THE overall champions of the 2018 Institute of Sports (INSPORTS) All-Island Community football and netball leagues will each receive $500,000 and the championship trophies.

This was announced by Minister of Sports Olivia Grange at the media launch of the knockout stage of both competitions held at the National Stadium Hospitality Room last Friday.

Grange said it was time prize money should be equal between men and women in sports, and that her ministry had decided that for the winners of the football for men and the netball for women will collect $500,000 each.

She noted that cash awards will also be given to the teams finishing second, third and fourth for the football and netball competitions.

“The Government has given INSPORTS a mandate to begin from the grassroots level in the communities from all the parishes [and give them] the opportunities to excel. No way you can get there unless you go into the communities and involve the people,” Grange said.

She said sports is a tool for peace, friendship, and it is also used to unite the communities, and sports does not involve political differences as it caters to everyone.

“I had notified all MPs from the various parishes about the All-Island Community football and netball championships that we will be having and they should make their communities participate, but some responded, and some didn’t,” said Grange.

She congratulated the MPs who got the people in their parishes and communities to participate in the competitions.

According to Minister Grange, there were 239 teams consisting of 2,780 players for the football competition, and 71 teams for the netball competition, and that is the preliminary rounds.

“It is important that our parents motivate and encourage their children to play football as they are just as equal as anybody in this country,” she pointed out to the managers and players of the teams.

Matches played last Sunday

ALL-ISLAND FOOTBALL

Zone A

Fairy Hill 6, Trojan 2

Content 3, Top Form 1

Rovers 3, Rock Hall 1

Zone B

Douglas Castle 7, Crawford 1

Christiana United 2, Homestead 0

Chedda Empire 3, Ulster Spring 1

ALL-ISLAND NETBALL

Fraziers 27, March Madness 17

Police Youth Club 23, D’Trendsetters 20

Stingray 0, Summerfield W/0

Morant Bay Uprising 33, Slipe 20

Tool Gate 19, Uprising 24

Eastwood Park 24, Homestead 20

L and Lyle 24, Diamond 14

Liguanea 25, Beckford 23