‘We will take what we get’
Wint admits 50% capacity request for Mexico qualifier not realistic in current climate
Published:Sunday | January 2, 2022 | 12:10 AMDaniel Wheeler - Staff Reporter
JAMAICA FOOTBALL Federation (JFF) General Secretary Dalton Wint says the organisation will work with whatever capacity is agreed upon for the upcoming home World Cup qualifiers at the National Stadium.
His comments come as Local Government Minister Desmond McKenzie announced last Wednesday that the requests for fans to attend the international cricket matches during Ireland’s tour of the West Indies as well as the semi-finals of the 2021-22 Schoolboy Football season were rejected because of the increase in COVID-19 cases and the threat of the Omicron variant.
Wint had indicated last November that the JFF was looking to accommodate up to 50 per cent capacity (17,500 fans) for the Reggae Boyz clash against Mexico on January 27, after welcoming 4,100 spectators to ‘The Office’ for their game against the United States on November 16.
Be realistic
The JFF proposal is being considered. However, given the current situation, Wint has admitted the sport’s governing body has to be realistic about its chances.
“Our approach to the Government was half the stadium. I am almost certain that the Government will not consider that number because of what is happening now. (But) we will work with whatever the Government puts forward,” Wint told The Sunday Gleaner.
A maximum of 5,000 fully vaccinated fans were allowed to attend the United States game with strict COVID-19 protocols being applied. When asked whether the federation considered altering the capacity request in light of the current situation, Wint said that they would be guided by any changes that the ministry decides to make to the proposal.
“There (wasn’t anything) to say that we would work with this number or we would work with that number. We will leave it to the Government to make that decision,” Wint said.
Meanwhile, McKenzie said the Ministry of Local Government would be evaluating other requests for events from the JFF, the Inter-Secondary Schools Sports Association and the Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association and would be adapting to the change in the current climate.
“The Government will exercise flexibility as the situation changes as the role and impact of sport on social well-being, social development and on the local economies of communities is fully acknowledged,” McKenzie said.
Jamaica reported 329 new cases on Thursday with a positivity rate of 27 per cent. It is the highest single number of positive cases recorded since October 1 when Jamaica reported 348 cases.
Sports medicine physician Dr Akshai Mansingh says that a return to games behind closed doors could continue if the current trend is followed but believes that a pathway for fully vaccinated fans at the Mexico qualifier exists.
“It’s known throughout the world that Omicron is a milder form of the disease which is not sending you to hospitals but giving you some mild symptoms which go away after some time. Therefore, were you to have vaccinated people spread out with their masks on, it is not unfathomable to understand why they would be at risk of either catching or spreading it,” Mansingh said. “If you are in outdoor spaces with the proper precautions, that chance of spreading is even less. “If reconsideration is given with all the external contemporary practices, then there is no reason why you can’t have even the 5,000 at the match at the end of the month.