A glimpse of hope! - PFJL expecting positive response from Government

With the recent decline in the infectious cases in the COVID 19 pandemic, Arlene Martin, acting general manager of the Professional Football Jamaica Limited (PFJL), said her organisation is now very hopeful that they will receive a positive response from the Government regarding the restart of the National Premier League (NPL).

Martin said that her association has resubmitted all their protocols and guidelines to the Ministries of Health and Wellness, and Sport, and are now awaiting their response. She said she is very optimistic that with the recent vaccination of thousands of Jamaicans and numbers trending down, she is anticipating a favourable response from the Government next Tuesday.

"It has given us a lot more hope because, remember, with the numbers that we had in January, with those numbers, the Government decided in January that they would allow sporting events to take place conditionally in February," said Martin.

"Then the numbers started going up, and the numbers are now going back down, and so we are hoping that the Government is again at that position where they were in January when they gave the go-ahead in February," she said.

OPTIMISTIC

"I am hoping that we will hear something on Tuesday next week. We are optimistic that it will be a positive response, and that is why we have been working so hard these months."

Jamaica have recorded over 43,000 COVID 19 cases and over 600 deaths. Since last year March when the country recorded it's first case of the deadly virus, organised football has been suspended, with several prominent competitions like the Premier League and schoolboy football being cancelled. The Premier League season, which was almost at the end of the regular season was ruled null and void by the Jamaica Football Federation.

Martin underscored that despite challenges facing the start of the competition, she is confident that the protocols that they have submitted will be granted approval.

"We have not given up hope, and so we are optimistic that we have design protocols that will protect the lives of players and everybody involved," Martin said.

"We are optimistic that we have gotten to this phase and the country is also at a place where they are a little more comfortable in terms of what is happening and a number of additional persons have been vaccinated, and so what we are hoping is that the Government is more comfortable to give the okay," she said.