Robert Bailey, Gleaner Writer

Local telecommunications company, Digicel, has made a three-year commitment valued at $5.5 million to the Inter- Secondary School Sports Association (ISSA) schoolgirls under-19 netball competition.

The announcement was made by Wayne Miller, marketing and communications manager at Digicel during Friday's opening ceremony and dress parade at the National Stadium Courts.

According to Miller, the company has made this commitment as a part of its ongoing support of social development. The entire sum will be disbursed over a three-year period as follows: 2006 - $1 million, 2007 - $2 million and 2008 - $2.5 million.

"We recognise that participation in sports is invaluable in the life of students, keeping them outside the sphere of negative influences, simultaneously instilling essential lessons. "Through sports, our young people learn the values of discipline, responsibility, self-confidence, sacrifice and accountability," he said.

Welcome investment

Clement Radcliffe, president of ISSA, said Digicel's investment is a welcome one. "By continuing to invest in the sporting and cultural activities, Digicel continues to play a key role in national development," he said.

Noting that Jamaica is ranked number three in world netball, Radcliffe said the ISSA schoolgirls netball competition will help hundreds of young women develop their competitive netball tactics, honing their skills for the intentional stage.

Alpha Academy won yesterday's dress parade while the rally was abandoned due to rain.

A total of 168 schools have entered this year's competition with 48 from the urban area and 120 representing rural Jamaica.

Alpha Academy and Holmwood Technical are the defending urban and rural champions respectively at the senior level, while Wolmer's Girls and Herbert Morrison Technical are the respective defending champions at the junior level.