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The tight schedule surrounding events at Independence Park Limited has forced the Jamaica Football Federation to seek alternative arrangements for their senior women’s World Cup-qualifying game for April 12, according to President Michael Ricketts.
Ricketts said that they are finalising plans to use Sabina Park as the venue for their game against the Dominican Republic, the last game of the first round which will decide who will advance to the final round of the World Cup qualifiers that will be held in Mexico in July.
The April 12 home qualifier will come at a time which holds a packed athletics schedule. The 2022 ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys and Girls’ Athletic Championships (Champs) would have been completed the week before (April 5-9), and the 2022 Carifta Games is scheduled for April 16-18.
Ricketts says that with the complexities brought about by the events, they are looking at Sabina Park to be an option for the Reggae Girlz game to be held.
“Because of the unavailability of the National Stadium, our preferred choice thereafter would be Sabina Park. We want to train and play on a decent pitch, so I’m sure that the head coach (Vin Blaine) would want to look at that. But as it is now, the game could very well be played at Sabina Park. We are working on that,” Ricketts told The Gleaner.
Blaine said there were issues regarding the ability to get the field back in shape for the game, considering the short turnaround time from the completion of throwing events at Champs.
SHAPE FOR THE GAME
“Champs has affected the decision, because the throws at Champs will finish on April 8 and there were some concerns about the area where the shot put is thrown, and they won’t be able to get it back in shape for the game,” Blaine said. “That is the decision. It is not ideal. It is just a matter for the (groundsmen) to get the (Sabina Park) pitch up to scratch for the game.”
Jamaica Premier League games have been played at Sabina Park this season, and Ricketts says that he is confident in the venue being a good alternative for the game. Additionally, they await guidance from the relevant authorities in how they will accommodate spectators for the game.
“We have not yet worked out those details, but after we get some clarification from the Ministry (of Sport) we could look at it in terms of numbers (how much we can have),” Ricketts said.
The vaccination mandate was lifted for yesterday’s men’s World Cup-qualifying home game against El Salvador and will also apply for the Reggae Boyz final game against Honduras on March 30.
Jamaica are tied with the Dominican Republic on six points in Group C of the Caribbean section of Concacaf World Cup qualifying but are second in the table, thanks to an inferior goal difference. Only the group winners will advance to the final round.
daniel.wheeler@gleanerjm.com
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