 Thank you so much for staying with us on the Sports Mag Zone. Football is where we call the Jamaica Football Federation and members of the Regga Girls World Cup squad have finally met to iron out the issues that caused the impasse, which led to the World Cup squad withdrawing its services for the Conker Calf Women's Gold Cup Qualifying Tournament. The meeting took place last Friday. The girls were represented by three players and a representative of Fifth Pro, the Union for Professional Footballers worldwide. Of note, Khadija Borishaw was not part of the meeting. Shaw and goalkeeper Rebecca Spencer, a member who was at the meeting, did an exclusive interview with the Sports Mag Zone on December 1. A number of issues were highlighted in that conversation, especially the assertion that several members of the World Cup squad were still owed by the Federation. This, of course, despite Dennis Chong telling us in November that the JFF had settled all outstanding payments with the players. Let's get an update then on what happened in that meeting last week from Chong, the general secretary of the Jamaica Football Federation. Mr. Dennis Chong, welcome again to the Sports Mag Zone. It's a pleasure to have you. First of all, how are you doing? I'm good. I'm good, Ricardo. How are you doing? I am doing well myself. Well, first of all, great to hear that a meeting was held last week, Friday. Have we reached a resolution? No, the girls are still to come back to us. We're hoping to have another meeting with them. So we're awaiting them. They're doing some consultations because, you know, it was just three of the girls and a representative and they needed to do some consultations with their team. And then they would come back to us and tell us when they wanted to conclude on the discussions. But, you know, there was a lot of clarity that was provided. I think it was a good meeting coming out of that. So, you know, I'm hopeful that, you know, we'll definitely have all of the issues sorted out in a very, very short time. Yeah, I'm happy to hear you use the word clarity. Can you tell us some of the things that were clarified from that meeting, at least from your standpoint, as GFF General Secretary? Yeah, well, we thought I had an informal agreement that we wouldn't speak about everything. I let them know that, you know, we had to clear the air on the payment issue. So that's what I can speak about. But the other issues that are discussed, the main item was the payment issue. And we had some good conversations around it. We stated our positions and they also stated what the concerns were. And I think, as I said, there is a lot of clarity around that. I don't expect that those are going to be issues. I think we just needed to have some clarity around those issues. So, I don't want to discuss those other issues. But we discussed primarily was the matter of the payment because we were very concerned from the GFF point of view that it was said that some persons still have not got any payments. We know and we did the checks after and we know that that money is worth paid to all 24 girls that were at the World Cup. And we confirmed that we had the detailed breakdown. We confirmed that nothing was returned from the bank because, you know, sometimes what happens is that you send money through the bank. It does not reach the intended target and return, but nothing was returned. So we from all point of view, we can say that it was actually sent. And we did send the details as requested last Monday. So all the details in terms of a breakdown per match, by per day and match fees for each of the 24 girls were actually sent to each one of them. We wouldn't have sent the whole thing to one person, say the fifth row representative. But we did send it individually to all the persons. And I think there was a feedback from one person on it. So once we hear from them, our intention is to reconcile it. And if anyone can say that they didn't receive what was sent, then we can always contact the bank at a reference number and send it to them. I was hoping that if that was the case and someone didn't receive it, that they would have come back to us from before, because it's a little difficult after two months, if in fact there is a problem with the financial institution to trace it. But we know that it was sent out. We verify that all the funds were sent out. All right. So let me be absolutely clear now, Mr. Chung, and start specifically with the World Cup squad. So as you told us in November, you are here saying to us again that you have done the checks subsequent to the conversation we had here on the Sports Bank Zone with Khadija Shaw and Rebecca Spencer. And you are saying that as far as you know, all 24 members of the World Cup squad, the 23 plus, the Sashana Campbell, who would be the 24th player as I understand it, would have gotten match fees, would have gotten per diems, would have gotten whatever bonuses they were due, and this dating all the way back to February and not just a specific money that would have come out of the World Cup itself. So all monies owed to them would have been paid over. All monies. In fact, we would have paid monies from even last year. There was some money outstanding for them from last year, early 2022, and that was included in the competition. We did a detailed spreadsheet per game and we actually sent all of that to them. I know certainly the details were done for the World Cup, from the World Cup and all the games after that also, and that was actually sent. So we're waiting, as I said, on the feedback to say, hey, we still don't see this or we can't reconcile this amount. And we understand that part. We understand that part, Sir Chong. So let me ask you another question now as well. Are you also saying to me that players who participated in the build up to the World Cup, because if I understood correctly, the suggestion also was that players who might not have made it to the World Cup, but were owed monies as well, have those players been paid, been fully compensated as well? Well, that was signed off. We received the final money from people last week, right? And that was signed off. In fact, the staff were paid the final amounts for the incentives and the amount to the girls. We got a list that came in and that amount was signed off. So I expect that that would have been paid. I just have to confirm that. But I know that the staff, definitely, that payment was made for the incentive and it was signed off for the girls to be paid leading up to the World Cup. So I just need to check to ensure that that was actually sent off. But I know I had already confirmed on the staff. Yeah, but on this day in sport, you cannot confirm that the girls who participated in qualifying but who were not at the World Cup and were owed have been paid. You cannot confirm that. No, I'm not going to confirm that. No, because I know I signed it off to be paid, right? So I would just have to ensure that it actually went through with the bank transaction, because that is when it is paid. Like I can confirm that the payments to the staff are being paid, because I know it has gone through the bank transactions. And I would never say publicly that something has been paid and I'm not 100% certain, because I know about the sensitivity around it. So I know that I'll have to check on that. And I could always produce a no later or tomorrow about that. But I know certainly on the staff, because I've received feedback from them to say that they've got the money. So I know that. And as you know, as you know, Mr. Chong, there was a massive debate after we did the interview with the girls, them saying that not all members of the World Cup squad, and they did mention as well, those who were outside of the World Cup squad had not been paid. And of course, you had told us that all the players had been fully paid. Given the conversations that you had, is there an understanding now or a better understanding of where that misunderstanding occurred? If indeed that was the case? Well, I certainly, you know, we brought some clarity to it. I can't speak on understanding from the side of the players, but I mean, they were told about what the situation was and the details were sent. So as I said, we are awaiting feedback on that because as I said, we can only verify that the money has left the bank. If you know how the banking system works, when you send a wire, your bank actually sends money to the receiving back through an intermediary. And they can't verify anything after that. So, you know, once we get the feedback to say, okay, hey, we have seen it or we have not seen it, if you say we have not seen it, we can always go to our bank and get a reference number. And that reference number will be sent to the person who will then have to check with their bank. But we can't verify that the receipt is done. We can only verify that the money was sent. If normally, if money is not, it's not received by the institution, they would normally send it back. We can also verify that nothing was sent back. And that's what we can verify. Yes. So I just want to be clear and help me if I'm incorrect here. Based on what you have told us today, based on what the girls told us on the 1st of December and matching that against what you told us in November, it is fair to say that based on the information that you have, the girls were incorrect to say that they had not, all the World Cup members had not been paid as of that time. But they would have been correct to say that members outside of the World Cup squad still had not been paid. They would have been correct to say members outside of the World Cup squad were not paid at that time. That is true. And that's something that would always say that when that that final money came in would have paid it. So that would have been correct. They would have been correct also if they had said that the staff had not been paid their final incentive because the payments were per diem much fees. The bonus that we got from FIFA for them, which was sent directly as soon as we got it. And also the incentive of the percentage of the JFF money that was received. Right. And Dennis, you said that the girls are to go have the discussion and get back to you. Then there will be another meeting. Is there a timeline as to when they are to get back to you? Well, well, you know, we were hoping that it would have been this week. But, you know, we're leaving it with them. They said they would advise us. So we're waiting on that. Obviously, you know, we will reach out again after this week if it's not done and find out, you know, if they have a time in mind because we're open. You know, as it gets closer to Christmas, it's going to be more difficult to meet over the holiday period. You know how it is. People have personal commitments. People travel and that sort of thing. So, you know, it's going to get a little more difficult, but we're hoping that it will happen very soon. But we're fully available right now as we speak. And we made that clear that we're available. So, you know, we're going to give them some time to consult. You know, I think it's only fair for that to happen. And then, you know, when they come back to us, we're ready to discuss any issues they have. Yes. And can we get a general idea maybe as to what's on the agenda for that next meeting? For the next meeting? Primarily, they just confirm the details that we sent, you know, that they're saying, oh, we got this already and get it done. Because what we would have said before is a statement, a summary statement to say, okay, this has been paid, your balance is zero. Or, you know, your balance is X amount because we're overpaid some of it. And then, you know, the other issues that we discuss is just to provide that feedback that we have given from the representatives to the players. And then, you know, they'll tell us what the feeling is. Because what we want to do is get to a point where the girls are saying, okay, fine, you know, we are satisfied with all of these things. And we will be available, right? So that, you know, when we go into the next window, which is February, you know, we will have a full squad available to us. You know, as I said, the team continues, the team would have played in the work of the bulk of qualifiers. So, you know, one of the good things coming out of this is that we now have a much wider pool that we're going to choose from. And we want to ensure that everyone is available. So we're waiting on them to come back to us. And then, you know, we will have that discussion with them just to make sure that everything is fine from their end. Yeah. And based on the discussion, do you get the sense that, you know, there's no tension, things are calm, and we're moving in the right direction. Because of course, we don't sit in those meetings. We're not sure if you're all screaming at each other, or if you're having, you know... No, no, no. It was a good meeting. It was a very cordial meeting. You know, we discussed the issues and there was no, you know, shouting or any disagreements. You know, we stated our issues, they stated our issues. It was a good meeting. Good. You know, it was very respectful, you know, a normal meeting. Yeah. I'm pleased to hear that, Dennis Chung, because that is where I was going with my question because the relationship between the girls and the JFF has appeared in recent months to be almost irreparable. And you mentioned earlier on that when you saw the Sportsmax zone interview with Spencer and the Bonnie Shaw, you were concerned about the things that they were saying, although I would suspect that infuriated may have been a better feeling that you had a better, a more accurate representation of your feeling than concerned. Well, I don't know if it's infuriated because I know how the banking system works, you know. So I would never say that they were not saying something that's not so. I mean, I've been in the banking system and I know how it works. And I know how these things go. I mean, I know that you send money on many occasions and it just doesn't make it through, you know. It's not that you don't send the money, right? What would have been good, I think, is that, you know, if I send a statement to say I've sent you $10, then, you know, if you don't receive it in a week, then it's always best at that time to come back as early as possible and say I did not receive the $10 because it makes it much easier to trace, you know. And that is what we're going to be faced with now. You know, if someone says I don't see it in their account, it makes it a little more difficult to trace because, you know, a lot of transactions would have happened after that. And the payments were made over three payments. You know, it was an initial payment. Then the bonus payment was made. And then our final payment was made to them. So I think it was over three payments. Just a wrap, Dennis. The relationship between the regular girls and the JFF has been caustic. It's very obvious. Can you say definitively on our show at the moment that the damage done to the relationship between yourselves and the girls is irreparable? No, no, it's not. I mean, I don't think so. You know, we are willing and, you know, certainly from our side, you know, we don't see it that way. And, you know, as I said, we have a team that's playing. And, you know, we're happy to open the pool and select as, you know, whoever is there, whoever is available. And remember also that the administrative staff does not get involved in selection. Our job is to make players available. Once we make players available, it is a coach who determines who makes it into the squad. Completely understand, Dennis. We're fast out of time. So 15 seconds to answer this one. Xavier Gilbert was the interim coach for the October and November window. Is he expected to continue? Has he been given a long-term contract, like a one-year or a two-year contract? Or what's happening there? No, Xavier has a long-term contract with us, not necessarily as the head coach, but he has a contract as a coach. But whether he continues or not is left to the technical committee. So the technical committee meets. They decide they're obviously going to open an application process to make it transparent. And I'm sure Xavier will apply. You know, he has done well. And, you know, when the technical committee makes a recommendation, I just make sure the money is there to pay it. And, you know, that's how the process works. All right, Dennis Trump, talking big on the Sports Mag Zone. Thank you very much. It's a pleasure speaking with you. And I think the word of the day is clarity. So thank you. And we'll chat again soon, I'm sure. Yeah, man. No problem. All right, Dennis Trump, General Secretary at the Jamaica Football Federation. We'll take a break. We'll go back with more.