With high hopes and anticipation for the start of the 2022 ISSA Schoolboy Football season, Digicel has upped its investment in the competition over the next three years to $84 million. This massive show of support for the Caribbean’s most popular high school football tournament sets a new sponsorship record for Digicel, a long-time ISSA partner. The season, which begins on September 10, 2022, marks the first full-fledged round of matches since 2019.

At a press launch today (August 25) at the National Stadium, Digicel outlined its comprehensive support package that will go towards staging the 2022-2024 seasons. The sponsorship of cash and services will enable ISSA to deliver on staging the annual tournament in an even more impressive and innovative format.

Elon Parkinson, public relations and communications manager at Digicel, said: “Our sponsorship is designed to deliver a new kind of energy and enthusiasm to youth football, as we get back to huddling in the stands and cheering on our favourite high school teams. Fan engagement will be a huge part of how we deliver on this experience throughout the rounds.”

INDOMITABLE JAMAICAN SPIRIT

Parkinson commended ISSA for navigating the competition through the most recent times of change and challenge.

“This level of resilience is part of how we demonstrate the indomitable Jamaican spirit, and why Digicel is happy be supporting Jamaica’s prowess in youth football for another three years,” he said.

Digicel’s support package again makes it the presenting sponsor for the Manning Cup competition, including giving fans access to watch all the live matches via everyone’s favourite sports streaming app – SportsMax, the official broadcast partner for ISSA Schoolboy Football.

Nicholas Matthews, CEO of SportsMax, reiterated the channel’s commitment to providing the high-quality sports content over the next four months of competition.

“SportsMax has invested over $250 million in the ISSA Schoolboy Football competition to cover sponsorship and broadcast production over the past six years,” he said.

“Last season we produced 55 games, and this year we are expanding that to 65 fully produced games, making this the most aired schoolboy football tournament ever.”

In thanking sponsors like Digicel and SportsMax, ISSA President Keith Wellington noted: “Over the past 30 months, the entire nation has had to deal with the ravages of the pandemic. During this period, ISSA was blessed to have the support of several key stakeholders who ensured that we could stay focused on providing opportunities for our student-athletes. Last year, even without a formal agreement, our sponsors decided to stay on board and bridge the gap between their last contract and the current one. Therefore, I acknowledge our sponsors for their tremendous support with a sense of gratitude.”

To reinforce Digicel’s support, Parkinson concluded: “As a company that was made in Jamaica 21 years ago, Digicel continues to support what’s good about Jamaica. As we look to the next three years of participation in the ISSA Schoolboy Football competition, we are also adding another layer of investment by providing the technology that allows fans to enjoy the games from anywhere, using the everyday power of our advanced fibre and LTE networks. We are so happy that schoolboy football is back!”