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Women's league set for July return - Edwards welcomes news, points to opportunities
May 01, 2018
Charles Edwards, coach of many-time women's local club champions Barbican, says it is very important that the league returns, after a one-year absence, due to lack of sponsorship.
With the league set to return in the summer, Edwards told STAR Sports that the young players see the league as an opportunity, especially to gain scholarships overseas.
"Once we get notification, I will go with it because I know that they did not have sponsorship and that was the reason it was not held last season. It is very good because the lack of continuity of the women's programme will cause a decline in the national programme," said Edwards, whose club has dominated the local league and knockout competitions.
DEPENDENT ON LEAGUE
"The girls are very dependent on the league in terms of gaining scholarship and all these things. It helps a lot of local players out there, so it is certainly important to have it back," he added. The league, which was shelved after the Sports Development Foundation (SDF) decided not to renew its one-year sponsorship back in 2016.
Meanwhile, Janice Rose-Brown, public relations director of the Jamaica Football Federation, confirmed that the league will return this season.
"The competition will be held this year and we have interested parties. We have confirmed sponsorship. We usually have discussions with our clubs and that is what we intend to do now that we know we will have the competition this year," said Rose-Brown, who was tight-lipped about the details of the sponsorship.
"We will be having meetings with the clubs. Then the announcement will be made at the appropriate time. We normally start in July although with the World Cup coming up that would not be a good time, but the stakeholders want a July start," she concluded.
Sherwin Williams sponsored the local women's club league for 14 consecutive years, but withdrew their sponsorship two years ago. Then the SDF stepped in with a $9 million sponsorship but that lasted only one season.
