The thirteenth staging of the Sherwin Williams Women’s Football league gets underway today with six games across the island. Fourteen teams, including six times defending champions Barbican FC and three newcomers, Boys Town Wildcats, St. James Women’s Academy and Rangers FC, will battle for the title. Also returning is former champions Portmore Strikers who was missing last season.
The teams have been split into two zones of seven and will play each other on a home and away basis, with one team from each zone “resting” each match day. At the end of the first round, the teams that top each zone will face each other in a mid-season final. The top four teams at the end of the league format will qualify for the semi-finals. In addition to the Sherwin Williams League title, the teams will also vie for the Colour Scape Knock-Out Title which was also won by Barbican last year.
Speaking at the launch of the league on Friday, President of the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) Captain Horace Burrell encouraged the ladies participating in the league to pay keen attention to their fitness levels as well as their discipline.
“Jamaicans are natural athletes, but we have to go a bit further. It is not going to work if you are not physically fit. Be disciplined, work hard and you will reap the benefits,” he encouraged.
Burrell also took time out to thank the sponsors Sherwin Williams saying, “Without your sponsorship we would not have been able to have this well organized tournament.”
Mr. Ian Forbes, Managing Director of Sherwin Williams, echoed the sentiments of CONCACAF President Jeffery Webb, in challenging Jamaica to be the first Caribbean country to qualify for the FIFA Women’s World Cup which will be played next year in Canada.
Forbes hailed the pioneers of women’s football in the country who he said “Kicked down doors” in order to get things started in Jamaica, lauding their efforts and suggesting that special recognition should be paid to them.
The competition has been sponsored to the tune of $7.1M and the winners of the league will receive $400,000.
The games on today in Zone A are, Barbican FC v Rangers FC at the St. Mary Sports Complex, Waterhouse FC v Portmore Strikers at Duhaney Park Playfield and Trelawny Women’s FC v Arnett Gardens FC at Elleston Wakeland Centre.
In Zone B, GC Foster College v Boys Town at GC Foster College, Los Perfectos FC v UWI Women’s FC at Brooks Park and Real Morant Strikers FC v St. James Women’s Academy at York Complex.
You must be logged in to post a comment Login