Santa’s sack - What are the sporting bodies hoping to find under the tree this year?

Some of us may not believe in Santa Claus, but for the rest of us who do, Christmas Day is one of high anticipation, especially for those in the sporting fraternity desperately seeking a few items that could go a long way in boosting the performances of their sporting disciplines.

These are some of the items a number of sporting bodies will be hoping to see stuffed into their stockings on December 25.

THE REGGAE BOYZ

Jamaica's Reggae Boyz face Mexico's Tricolor in World Cup qualifying at the National Stadium on January 27. The Boyz have seemingly opened an art school, drawing four of their eight games so far, and winning only one. That was against Honduras, who occupy last in the eight-team table. With only six games to go, Paul Hall's side desperately need to turn things around if they are to finish in the top four and still have a shot at Qatar 2022. As such, Hall will be up early on Saturday shredding open packages under the tree, hoping Santa brought him three points for that Mexico game. It could be the catalyst he needs for his first game in charge of the Boyz.

ISSA

The Inter-secondary Schools Sports Association (ISSA) was delighted to not only have Champs back in 2021, but also schoolboy football. Although with a reduced list of participating teams this season, the tournament seemed to get going without a hitch or any controversies until it was found that Camperdown High School and Tivoli Gardens High School both used ineligible players. How could such a thing have happened? Could it have been an oversight on ISSA's part because of less personnel in office dealing with the running of the competitions? If that is the case, then maybe St Nick has a new Competitions Director for president Keith Wellington to unwrap. The body has been without one since George Forbes' retirement in April 2020.

NETBALL JAMAICA

You're heading home from work one afternoon in the Corporate Area and you board your usual Jamaica Urban Transit Company bus to get to your destination, only to see Netball Jamaica (NJ) president Tricia Robinson, Sunshine Girls Jhaniele Fowler, Shamera Sterling, and their coach Connie Francis as passengers heading to their Sunshine Series game against Trinidad and Tobago at the National Indoor Sports Centre. The Jamaica Olympic Association and team sponsors Stewart's Automotive ensured that did not happen after both of the team's buses were stolen from its base in St Andrew on August 15. NJ has been using buses loaned by both entities but it still needs its two vehicles. Robinson told STAR Sports earlier this week that compensation has been given for one of the buses but that's still not enough. Hopefully, Santa's sack is made of extra stretchy material as Robinson will be hoping to find two brand new gift-wrapped Toyota Coaster buses under her tree.

ASAJ AND SDF

The Aquatic Sports Association (ASAJ) has had a difficult time staging many of the events it had planned for this year because of issues with the 50m swimming pool at the National Aquatic Centre. The pool's pump was to be replaced in June, but Sports Development Foundation General Manager Denzil Wilks said there were complications in obtaining the new equipment. Six months have passed and nothing has changed. Wilks said at first that US$28,000 (over J$4 million), more than double what was budgeted by ASAJ (J$2 million) was needed to replace the pump. However, additional parts have now raised the cost to nearly US$43,000 (over J$6.5 million). Wilks and ASAJ President Martin Lyn would be gleeful to unwrap a new pump on Christmas morn.

INDEPENDENCE PARK

For many years, the Jamaican public has been told that upgrades to the National Stadium to raise its capacity and modernise its facilities are imminent, but so far none of that has really come to fruition. Independence Park's General Manager could be getting the most gifts from Santa this Christmas. First, he may receive a new pair of scissors. This is to cut through all the red tape delaying the work being undertaken. Next, a shiny new crane, some bags of cement, cinder blocks, and bundles of steel could also be in Santa's sack to assist in the actual undertaking of the construction.