The Kingston and St Andrew Football Association, in collaboration with Jamaica Beverages Limited through its brand, Chubby, sports cable provider SportsMax and Continental Baking Company Limited, staged the first of their Grassroots Football Programme on the weekend.

Fifty children between the ages of six and 12 years old participated in the event, which got under way at 10 in the morning at the Duhaney Park football field. It was the first of 24 events slated to be conducted across the KSAFA Confederation, over the next nine months.

50 participants

Opening the programme, Peter Higgins, the KSAFA general secretary, thanked the sponsors for partnering to make the programme a reality. In direct address to the children, Higgins encouraged them to enjoy themselves.

Among the 50 participants at this event were eight girls. Jacqueline Cowan, second vice-president KSAFA, was especially pleased that girls were in attendance. Two of the girls - six-years-old Amari Hewitt and 11-year-old Assana Najair ≠- had different reasons for attending. For Amari, her teacher at the Duhaney Park Primary encouraged her to attend and she was glad she did because she was enjoying herself. Eleven-year-old Assana revealed "I came here to learn so that when I come of age, if given another chance, I will be able to be a successful football player."