Some members of Jamaica’s senior Reggae Girlz have confirmed that they are in receipt of half of their salary that was promised to them by the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF).

On Monday the incensed female footballers had said they were still to receive the payout, even as the JFF general secretary had said the funds were disbursed to their various accounts last week.

Defender Toriana Patterson, who yesterday made the confirmation, pointed to the breach committed by JFF, as up to Monday they were yet to receive payment for their work before, during or after the World Cup in France, since inking contracts with the governing body in May.

The Girlz, on Monday, made their position clear that they will not participate in any Jamaica camps, practice matches, or qualifying matches until “100 per cent” of outstanding contract payments are made to every player.

At press time last evening, Patterson claimed that most players were seeing the payment reflected in their accounts.

“The players started to get the 50 per cent of our outstanding payments around 12 to one (o’clock) today (yesterday). As of right now, at least two players have received because it (funds) has been going through to people’s accounts throughout the day.

“Some just recently received this evening, but our stance doesn’t change because we should’ve had 100 per cent payment by August 30. So they (JFF) still breached the contract,” Patterson told the Jamaica Observer.

Now that players have started to receive payments serves as a form of vindication for general secretary Wint, who said on Monday the funds were in fact dispatched.

“They might not have received it, but we sent the Girlz’s pay…remember, you know, how the transfer money is — some people will be seeing it and some people will not be seeing it, based on the bank. But we have sent half of the money from last week to all the Girlz that are contracted,” Wint said in the interview on Monday.

Wint’s comments were made after the Girlz released an e-mail on Monday in which they expressed discontent at the “injustices” that they have experienced during and after their storied run as the first Caribbean team to make an appearance at a Fifa Women’s World Cup.

“We have each upheld our part by being upstanding athletes and wearing our country’s colours with pride and respect. Yet, our federation has continuously disrespected our work ethic and our patriotism. We are simply asking to be paid — an agreement we thought was contractually obligated once both parties put pen to paper,” the e-mail stated, in part.

The outspoken Patterson says she believes she speaks for her teammates when she said money is not the chief motivator, but love of country.

“We don’t play this game for money, we play because we love it and we love Jamaica and I know I can speak for all my teammates when I say that. We love our country and we love playing for our country, nothing gives us more pleasure than sporting the black, green and gold.

“So this isn’t about the money; it’s about the respect because both parties signed legal agreements. We’re asking for what they promised to give us because they continue to disrespect us. This is about the federation and its administrators not honouring their word. This is about fairness,” Patterson declared.

It is now left to be seen what will transpire at the end of this month when the JFF is expected to make a full disbursement to the players upon receipt of the World Cup funds from Fifa.

It is understood that the JFF could receive as much as US$750,000 (about $100 million), which is the expected payout for teams that finished 17th to 24th at the Fifa Women’s World Cup in France this summer.

Wint previously revealed that all is being done to ensure the Girlz’s payments are in order to ensure the best players in the Girlz squad for the Caribbean phase of Olympic qualifiers, scheduled for September 30 to October 8.

“We have to, and intend to, carry out our end to ensure that the Girlz are paid, because we would want the best team to play. We have written to the Girlz explaining our position and made a commitment to pay them as soon as we can, which is the end of September,” Wint said.

Jamaica will host Group B featuring Cuba, Saint Lucia, Barbados and United States Virgin Islands.

Group A, the lone six-team group, comprises Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, Dominican Republic, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Antigua and Barbuda and Aruba; while Haiti, Puerto Rico, Suriname, Dominica and Grenada will contest Group C.

Only the three group winners will advance to the final round.

Sherdon Cowan