Mr. Nelson Hillocks), speaking as the Chairman of the Local Organising Committee (LOC) for the CONCACAF U17 World Cup qualifier on Monday, provided updates on the tournament’s organisation, encourage public support, and highlighted the event’s economic impact.
Hill informed the nation that plans for the six games, scheduled from February 5th to the 10th, are “well on the way”. He announced an aggressive public relations drive, stating the committee would be “bombarding the social media” and radio to ensure the public is aware of the event.
He outlined the specific schedule for the Arnos Vale playing field:
Thursday, Feb 5th & Tuesday: Games begin at 3:00 PM and run until approximately 9:00 PM.
Saturday, Feb 7th: He urged fans to arrive early, by 2:00 PM, to watch the “Vincy Heat” team warm up before their match.
He identified the teams in Group E, which include “the might of Vincy Heat,” the Dominican Republic, St. Kitts, and “the mighty USA” and expressed confidence in the team and Head Coach Murray, noting that while the boys might not be “100% there as yet,” they are training hard and prepared to make the country proud.
Hill emphasized that ticket prices were set very low to encourage attendance, calling it a “giveaway”:
Daily Ticket (2 games): $10 EC (less than $4 US).
Seasonal Ticket: $25 EC (less than $10 US). He set a target for the public, stating, “we want to see a 10,000 strong playing field” to support the youth.
He highlighted the tournament as an “excellent sports tourism venture,” noting that teams, officials, and parents would begin arriving around the 3rd of the month. He directly addressed Minister Cupid, asking him to inform his colleagues in the Ministry of Tourism that the event would positively affect the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and economy. The budget to run the tournament is close to one million dollars, meaning significant money will be spent within the local economy.
Hill thanked Minister Cupid and Football Federation President Otashi Spring for their hands-on support in resolving issues. He recounted that they summoned him to a meeting on December 23rd to sort out a problem, demonstrating their commitment to ensuring “all the issues are in place”.