Kwesi Mugisa, Staff Reporter

ALLEN

FORMER CHAIRMAN of the Institute of Sports (INSPORTS), C. Lloyd Allen, has described the turning down of the National Premier League's (NPL) cries for emergency funding by the Sports Development Foundation (SDF) as a slap in the face for youth development.

"We always talk about how football can revitalise the nation, we worry about the crime rate and relations in the inner city and yet we are prepared to tell a youngster who has worked hard since September that there is nothing for him at the end of the day," Allen told The Gleaner.

"A lot of nice speeches are always made about youth development and interest in the youth and they have their place, but something like this is a slap in the face," argued Allen, a former president of the Jamaica Boxing Board of Control.

Budget short

Two weeks ago, the Premier League Clubs Association (PLCA), a body which consists of the representatives of the island's top-flight football teams, announced that it had severed ties with sponsors Cash Plus Limited.

The embattled financial investment company, which took up the mantle as title sponsors this season, was unable to fulfil its obligations after coming under pressure from the Financial Services Commission late last year.

Since then, the company has been issued with a cease-and-desist order and Cash Plus' principal, Carlos Hill, has been held on fraud-related charges.

The affair has left the the Premier League $28 million short of its budget, $26 million of which was to be provided by the title sponsors.

Ten million of that amount had been expected to go towards the awards ceremony and prize money and, according to chairman of the association, Edward Seaga, that was the amount requested by the body from the SDF.

Misconception

According to Seaga, the PLCA, which was not invited to the SDF meeting, was turned down under the misconception that it is not a private entity but an affiliate of the Jamaica Football Federation. Due to budgetary constraints, the body has had to scrap both the prize and awards ceremony.

"In any business that you have, you are going to have problems. It is not something that is unusual or hasn't happened before," Allen said. "However, I am hoping at the end of the day good sense will prevail and I am appealing to them (SDF) to reconsider.

"Were you to look at the youth population in the combined parishes taking part in the league, the figure would probably be less than $10 a head. Something has to be done."