The Fiji Secondary Schools Football Association has been boosted with the $36,000 sponsorship for the upcoming championship in Nausori.

Vodafone Fiji gave $25K cash as part of Fiji FA’s sponsorship deal and jerseys for all the teams participating while Fiji FA has invested $11K dollars for the girl’s competition. Fiji SSFA’s president Aminesh Ram thanked Vodafone Fiji and Fiji Football for the sponsorship.

“I would like to thank Vodafone Fiji for the $25,000 cash sponsorship and of course the jerseys for all the thirty eight teams which is quiet expensive, “Ram said.

Ram said this sponsorship would not been possible without the support of Fiji Football Association.

“This sponsorship is the child of Fiji FA and through them we managed to secure the sponsorship deal.”

He said the championship was growing bigger and better every year and this year the competition would be tough.

The schools he said had been fighting tooth and nail to qualify from the respective zones because they had only 20 teams in the under 19 grade. “Teams have been fighting for a spot in the competition.”

He said the interest was definitely growing and players and fans were taking football seriously. This he said was due to the success of the national teams and districts competing in the current Vodafone Premier League.

“We have also included the women’s category and given the success of our U19 women’s national team we have been motivated even more to develop women’s football in the country.

“The women’s competition will involve 11 teams. The U19 champions Nukuloa College will face stiff competition from schools like Kamil College, Nadi Muslim and Cuvu College to name a few.

“There will be new winners in the U17 and U15 grades as the last year’s winners failed to qualify.”

The championship will be played at Ratu Cakobau Park in Nausori from August 13-16.