Jamaica’s Minister of Tradition, Gender, Leisure and Sport, Olivia Grange, mentioned she is anxious concerning the ongoing battle between the Reggae Girlz squad and the Jamaica Soccer Federation (JFF) that has resulted in a number of senior gamers being suspended.
“As minister, I’ve been cautious to not say or do something that may very well be seen as political interference in Jamaica’s soccer programme,” mentioned the minister in a press release on Monday.
“Nonetheless, like some other fan, I’ve been involved concerning the relationship between the Jamaica Soccer Federation and members of the Reggae Girlz squad.”
Grange added, “I’ve been in dialogue with each side in an try to carry them collectively and can proceed to do my utmost to facilitate an amicable decision within the curiosity of Jamaica.”
Ongoing rift
Final Friday, it was introduced that the Reggae Girlz squad who achieved a historic Spherical of 16 end on the 2023 FIFA Girls’s World Cup rejected the call-ups for the first-ever Girls’s Gold Cup Qualifiers.
The JFF later introduced the suspension of the collection of senior gamers. In a written communication addressed to the gamers, the JFF expressed its discomfort with the gamers’ response and the absence of participant representatives at a scheduled assembly on Friday.
On Saturday, the Reggae Girlz detailed numerous causes for the senior gamers’ withdrawal from the qualifiers.
In a press release launched by way of the group’s social media, the squad mentioned they’re taking a stance towards the “fixed mistreatment” they’ve acquired from the JFF.
“As all the time, it’s an honor and a privilege to symbolize Jamaica. It’s our job to carry out to the perfect of our skill and put all of our efforts into representing our nation, making our followers, family members at residence, and diaspora proud,” they mentioned, including that “because of the present circumstances the Jamaica Soccer Federation has put us in, we’d not be capable to do our job.
“We now have acquired details about our teaching employees, medical employees, and tools employees in an premature method and thru unprofessional communication. We now have gotten affirmation of our head coach 3 days previous to our report date by social media, regardless of our efforts to have direct communication with the JFF,” they mentioned.
The Reggae Girlz additionally mentioned that they’ve but to obtain full and proper funds for his or her historic performances on the World Cup and the quite a few excellent bonuses for qualifying in the summertime of 2022.
