By Anthony Foster, Freelance WriterTHE INTER-Secondary School Sports Association (ISSA) schoolgirls football competition has benefited from a 120 per cent increase from its sponsors, The Captain's Bakery Limited.
This was pointed out when details of the competition were announced at yesterday's official press launch by the sponsor at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel in New Kingston.
The league will be sponsored to the tune of $1.7 million, an increase of $950,000 on last year's figure.
Managing Director of The Captain's Bakery, Captain Horace Burrell, said he expects this competition to provide the young women with opportunities to play professional football overseas.
"It has been our pleasure and we will continue to support women's football, and in particular schoolgirls football as long as we are able to," the former Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) president said.
Among this year's incentives, the champion school will earn an all-expense paid trip to Cayman Islands to play that country's national Under-19 team in a two-game series. The teams will be playing for The Captain's Bakery Trophy.
SPECIAL TICKET
The sponsors will also provide a special ticket for the Principal of the winning school.
The competition starts on Thursday at Spanish Town's Prison Oval with a dress parade and the winning school will get a computer set, inclusive of a printer valued at $60,000; the champion school will also get a computer set, which includes a printer valued at $80,000, while the beaten finalist will take home one computer valued at $65,000.
According to Burrell, his company will also spend $185,000 to assist in travelling and a further $180,000 for administration cost.
There will also be two scholarships valued at $50,000 each for students that excel on the field of play and in the classroom.
Defending champions Queens are among 40 schools down to take part in this year's competition. Balaclava High, Central High, Charlemont High, Holmwood Technical, Mount Alvernia High, Spaldings High and Yallahs High are the new schools, while Merlene Ottey will return after a break.
On Thursday Queens will play Clan Carthy at Prison Oval after the dress parade. The teams will play each other on a home and away format in each zone, with the winners and runners-up, along with next two better placed finishers advancing to round two.
Sixteen teams, divided into four groups of four teams, will contest round two.
