The recent announcement about the start of the Jamaica Premier League football competition is a massive leap closer to the norm that we lost about 15 months ago when COVID-19 arrived on our shores.

A number of sports have since been allowed to restart, including track and field, golf, swimming, cricket and tennis, all individual disciplines- to some extent.

We were treated to a wonderful ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys’ and Girls’ Athletic Championships recently and the local meets have also served up some delightful treats to whet our appetites for the Olympic Games set for July-August as well as the Diamond League that started over a week ago.

Football, however, is a team sport with a lot of contact and it’s a big step by the Government to give the go-ahead to restart competition and ignite hopes that, come later this year, there will be some form of schoolboy football and local parish competitions.

We won’t know what format these leagues will take for a few more months, as this will depend heavily on factors outside of the control of ISSA and maybe even the Government. It will also depend a lot on the success of the ‘truncated’ 2020-21 season that will have just one round-robin round before the start of the play-offs to crown a champion.

Mind you, COVID-19 is still here and is still taking a toll on our everyday lives.

Last week, it was disclosed that more than 150 Jamaicans died in the month of May alone from the deadly virus which has infected nearly 49,000 Jamaicans and has caused the death of about 950 since March 2020.

And, while nearly half of those infected have recovered, according to the statistics published by the Ministry of Health and Wellness, there are dozens of new cases every day.

For football to be played, the protocols will have to be strictly enforced and obeyed by all concerned as undoubtedly any outbreak related to the football ‘bubble’ could see a lockdown and a setback to the local game.

What level of football we will see when the league gets underway is still up for debate, but I will not hold my breath as after no organised football for so long the players will almost have to learn the game all over again, starting from scratch.

The absence of the game here on Jamaican soil will also result in none of the local-based players being part of Coach Theodore Whitmore’s plans for the CONCACAF Gold Cup or the FIFA World Cup qualifying round, both set for later this year.

Restarting football after a break that spanned nearly two seasons will be hard, and the standard of the game could be hard on the eyes but no doubt will be welcome by all who love the sport.

After being forced to watch football on television since last year, local fans will have to continue enjoying the game from their couches as no fans will be allowed in the venues that have been selected for the games to be played exclusively in Kingston. There are plans, however, for all the games to be televised live or delayed and that will go a long way in making up for locking the fans out, for their own safety and the safety of others.

We look forward to the Premier League and hope that its success will be success for all of us in the short run.