FUNDING FOR ALL! ISSA sponsorship to cover competitions at all age group levels this year

President of the Inter-Secondary School Sports Association (ISSA) Dr Walton Small has explained why this season’s Manning and daCosta Cup competitions have separate sponsors.

Small said the body wanted to include the under-14 and under-16 competitions as part of the sponsorship package but could not find a single sponsor to finance the budget.

As a result, Digicel will sponsor the Manning Cup at $75 million over three years, while Wisynco, through its brands Wata and Freshhh, will sponsor the daCosta Cup, at a sum of just over $100 million for three years.

SportsMax ($28 million) and KFC ($18 million), annually, will also make significant contributions to the overall sponsorship.

But Small said that to develop the sport from the grass roots, they want more attention paid to the junior programmes, and this was the reason they did not have a main title sponsor for all schoolboy football competitions this season.

DEVELOPING FOOTBALL

“When we started planning, we felt we needed to pay more attention to under14 and under-16 football. If we are developing football, we have to pay attention to that,” he said.

“We looked at a budget and said, ‘This is what it is going to take to include the junior programmes, but we were not able to (secure sponsors). There was a figure we asked our title sponsor for, but were not able to get any company to meet that target as a single sponsor. We left the possibility open, so in the next round of negotiations we will not be encumbered with the business of first right of refusal for a title sponsor because we don’t have a title sponsor,” he explained.

Not having a main title sponsor gives ISSA full control over their competitions, and Small believes that this is a step in the right direction. “There was this concern in the public that we’re commercialising the product.

“Our previous sponsor (FLOW) showed us the way. They showed what it means to have a quality standard. This year, all football comes under the control of ISSA. We listened to criticisms and made adjustments and we have made a commitment from the quarterfinals. We are going to try our very best to play the games at quality venues,” he said.

The Champions Cup is yet to receive a sponsor, but Small said that this is because ISSA is not looking for one.

RUDOLPH BROWN Digicel Jamaica CEO, Justin Morin, (left), presents a ceremonial sponsorship cheque to ISSA president, Dr Walton Small at the official ISSA schoolboy football launch at the Terra Nova Hotel, yesterday.