Gladstone Taylor / Photographer

Donovan White, vice president of marketing and sales, Flow, is flanked by hostesses Monique Thompson (left) and Trudy-Ann Smart at the 2014 press launch of the Flow Champions Cup held at the UWI Mona Bowl yesterday.

Robert Bailey, STAR Writer

There will be a major increase in prize money for this year's Flow Champions Cup knockout football competition, which was launched at the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) Academy at the University of the West Indies (UWI) yesterday.

A draw for the first round of matches accompanied the launch of the championship, which the title sponsors will be using to support community development with a first-time initiative called Flow Goals for Charity.

In addition, Flow's channel 100 will broadcast the matches live and delayed across Jamaica and three other Caribbean counties - St. Lucia, Barbados and St Vincent and the Grenadines.

The broadcasts will include the weekly highlight show 'Overdrive'.

fifty per cent increase

Flow, in its fifth year of sponsorship for the island's premier knockout football competition, announced a 50 per cent increase in prize money, with the champion team now set to receive $1.5 million, a vast improvement on the $1 million the defending champions Waterhouse pocketed last year.

Additionally, this year's runners-up will pocket $440,000, while each of the two semi-final losers will receive $220,000.

Twenty-six teams, including all 12 Premier League outfits and 14 parish champions, will contest this year's staging, which will kick off on October 1, with the finals set November 17.

"We remain committed to the continued development of Jamaica through sports and education and this tournament is one such example of this commitment," said Donovan White, vice president, marketing and sales Flow.

JFF's president, Captain Horace Burrell, lauded Flow for their continued sponsorship.

"I really want to thank Flow because I think it is most timely," said Burrell. "I believe this will help to propel the football in Jamaica because as you know, it is very difficult to get sponsorship in this harsh economic climate."

Community project

The 'Flow Goals for Charity' initiative will see $50,000 going to the team that scores the most goals in each round. This money is to be used for a community project of their choice. White explained that they would work with the Premier League Clubs Association (PLCA) and the teams to administer this and make it a project that would lead to the enhancement of a sporting centre. This involvement is valued at $250,000.

Flow will also be continuing its annual clinic for players and coaches. Former Reggae Boy, Altimont 'Freddie' Butler, will be in charge of this year's clinic, where former national goalkeeper Aaron Lawrence will work with the goalkeepers.

First round fixtures (home teams named first)

October 1

Seaforth vs Holland United

August Town vs Highgate

New Green vs Black Stars

October 2

UWI vs Sporting Central

Barbican vs Cavalier

Bucknor United vs Granville

St Georges vs Tivoli

Lewis Strikers vs Reno