Some 4,600 copies of Beyond Victory, which was produced with funding from the Opportunity 21 global expansion initiative, were distributed at a special ceremony at Bible House in October to representatives of the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) and the Inter-Secondary School Sports Association (ISSA). A further 400 copies will be sent to the Bahamas Auxiliary for distribution at national sporting events.

Carl Brown, Technical Director of Jamaica’s national football team, represented JFF at the event. He explained that JFF – which opens all of its meetings with a prayer – did not hesitate when the Bible Society approached it with the offer of the Sports New Testament. Some of the 400 copies allocated to JFF will be given to members of the national team, and Mr Brown stated confidently that the players would use them regularly, even taking them when they travel abroad for matches. The rest of the New Testaments will go to Premier League footballers playing across the region. Such was Mr Brown’s eagerness to ensure that the players received their copy of Beyond Victory as quickly as possible that he took all 400 with him in his car!

Right direction

This was not possible for Neville Mair, the ISSA representative, as this organisation received 4,200 copies. Of these, 1,900 will go to girls who play netball and 2,300 to boys who play football and cricket.

Mr Mair expressed warm thanks to the Bible Society for a gift “which will undoubtedly help young lives in the right direction.”

Both organisations were also given copies of the leaflet Beyond Victory to distribute to people attending their various sporting events.