KINGSTON, Jamaica – Following the devastation left behind by Hurricane Melissa’s passing, chief executive officer of Professional Football Jamaica Limited (PFJL), Owen Hill has said it will be some time before the Jamaica Premier League (JPL) restarts.
Action in the JPL has been suspended following the passage of Hurricane MelissaHurricane Melissa, a Category 5 cyclone, battered the island on Tuesday, leaving behind what is expected to be billions of dollars in damage.
Hill said the PFJL and its stakeholders were still assessing the full extent of the damage, especially to clubs located in the worst-affected areas.
He revealed that teams based in the south and west of the island, particularly Treasure Beach and Montego Bay United, suffered significant infrastructural setbacks due to the storm.
As a result, he said no timeline could be given regarding the restart of the JPL.
“It is too early to have a definite plan to restart, because that will require a collective stakeholder-engagement process, which will take a couple of days… We had an emergency meeting this morning [Thursday] just to gather ourselves and to get information from other people, to get pictures coming out of the different communities from the clubs. It is devastating.
“What I can tell you so far is based on the preliminary discussions that we have been having with the clubs, it is going to be a tough road ahead based on just where they are in their current state,” Hill disclosed.
“When you look at Treasure Beach and when you look at Montego Bay United, those teams on the southern end and western end, those teams would have had some significant challenges with their infrastructure, and right now, we are concerned about the mental well-being of the players.”
Despite the long road ahead to recovery, Hill said he was relieved there had been no major injuries or loss of life within the football fraternity.
“Luckily for us, we had no major injuries when it comes on to life, but livelihood and property is definitely part of the rebuilding, so when it comes to a restart date, I can’t give you that, but one thing I can tell you for sure is that the teams are trying to pick up the pieces,” he said.
Nine games into the JPL, Montego Bay United were leading the league with 22 points, followed by Portmore United on 18, and Racing United on 15. Defending champions, Cavalier are currently fourth on 13 points.
