Keisha Hill, Staff Reporter

Prince Charles demonstrates his agility with the football at the launch of the Prince of Wales' Peace Cup Community Football Initiative on the West Lawns at King's House yesterday. - Junior Dowie/Staff Photographer

MINISTER OF Information, Culture, Youth and Sports, Olivia 'Babsy' Grange, lauded the efforts of the Beacons of Peace and Achievement Initiative (BPA) and the Metropolitan Black Police Association (UK) for their efforts to utilise sports to bring peace to the youths of troubled communities in Jamaica.

Minster Grange stated in an interview with The Gleaner following the launch of the Prince of Wales' Peace Cup Community Football Initiative on the West Lawns at King's House yesterday, that the initiative would play an integral role in ensuring that communities and the youth bonded, creating a synergy that would act as a unifying force.

"This programme will certainly bring good results," said Grange. "We believe that community sports is important. And, certainly, our objective is to improve sport at the community level, as well as at the professional level," she said.

The minister stated that persons who were not academically inclined could, through sports, use those skills to effectively generate a feasible income.

The initiative was launched in Jamaica in 2000 and consists of leadership programmes geared towards young people from inner cities in the United Kingdom, Jamaica, United States, Ghana and South Africa.

June kick-off

According to Gresford Bennett of BPA Jamaica, the competition will kick-off in June and continue through to August. Sixty-four teams are expected to participate and will include teams in all 14 parishes. St Elizabeth was chosen as the parish to start the ball rolling.

At the end of the competition, the winning team will be presented with the Prince of Wales' Community Peace Trophy.

Bennett stated that a total of $5 million would be needed to fund the venture.

A portion of that had already been funded by the National Commercial Bank Foundation.

Prince Charles, patron of the initiative and who is on a two-day visit to the island, said he was impressed by the work that has led to continuation of the initiative.

"It is a wonderful way that sport is being used to encourage peace. I hope this programme continues to grow from strength to strength," the Prince said.

Kevin Cox, a member of the Norman Gardens Youth Club, 2001 champions and one of the participating clubs in the competition this year, said it would foster good relationships between the teams and the communities.

"It will keep us away from negative influences and help us to build good relationships. It will be a good experience, both for other teams and us," Cox said.

Registration for the competitions is slated to start in the next three weeks.