Adrian Frater, News Editor

Western Bureau:

In keeping with a promise made last year by its president, Crenston Boxhill, the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) presented cheques valued at $200,000 each to all the parish associations at its congress in Montego Bay on Sunday.

The monies, which represent the first of a two-part promise made by the JFF to share its profits with parish associations, will go towards the development of youth programmes in the various parishes, a central objective of the Boxhill administration.

"This is a promise I am extremely happy we were able to keep," Boxhill told The Gleaner. "If our football is to become strong and sustainable we must have a good youth programme in place."

The parish associations are poised for additional funding in another 60 days as once the financial statements for the 2006 administrative year are ratified at a special extraordinary Congress, mandated by the Federation's delegates at Sunday's congress, an additional amount will be disbursed.

"Once the financial statements for 2006 are ratified, the parish associations will be getting an additional sum," said Boxhill. "We promised that we will be sharing 25 per cent of our profits with the parishes and while we have an expensive programme to fund, that promise will be kept."

On Sunday, the federation's delegates rejected the financial statement that was presented to the congress, claiming it was not circulated for the perusal of delegates ahead of the congress as per constitutional requirements.

Treasurer Rudolph Speid was subsequently mandated to have the financial statement circulated forthwith so as to facilitate an extraordinary congress in 60 days time to examine the accounts for the last administrative year.