Kwesi Mugisa, Staff Reporter

Boxhill

WITH A grand total of $18 million poured into the hosting of the CON-CACAF Under-17 tournament by the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF), president of the association, Crenston Boxhill, has appealed for the nation's full support during the two-week tournament.

" I want to call on the football-loving Jamaicans to come out and support every single game, we have four games and we need the public to come out," Boxhill said during a press conference at the JFF headquarters in New Kingston on Thursday. "It will be no use playing at home and being unable to take full advantage of the homefield advantage."

Offset expenses

In an attempt to try and offset some of the expense, the JFF is currently in negotiations with unnamed corporate entities, but having only managed to raise $3 million it is hoping to get some revenue from gate receipts.

The young Reggae Boyz are aiming to become the third Jamaica youth team to qualify for a World Cup, hoping to emulate the successes of the Under-17 team in 1999 and the Under-20 team in 2001.

Eleven of the current squad were on a team that won the Caribbean Under-15 championship and the side recently got the better of Mexico in a two-leg friendly back in February.

Sponsors for schools

In an attempt to garner support for the traditionally weak area of youth football, the JFF has implemented a programme which will see corporate Jamaica sponsor various schools around the island, which has already seen Digicel come on board, purchasing 60 tickets for six schools.

At Thursday's event the federation was also presented with $150,000 worth of sponsorship from JMMB and $1 million from the Sports Development Foun-dation.

"We don't normally get support at this level, but Jamaica has to realise that these are our future Reggae Boyz." Boxhill said. "We really need the nation to rally around the Under-17 team in the next couple of days."