FIFTY-FIVE new schools will compete in this year’s third season of the LIME/Insports Primary League, officially launched at the St Elizabeth Technical High School yesterday.

The nationwide football competition, which targets the Under-13 age group, was officially declared open by Ian Andrews, administrative director, Institute of Sports (Insports).

“We here at the Institute of Sports endorse the partnership between education and sport, which is the development of the total man. The Institute of Sports is mandated with the development of sport at the grassroots, so it is very important that we have competition such as this,” Andrews said before declaring the game open.

The unprecedented number of participants is an increase on the 350 institutions, inclusive of prep, primary, junior high and all-age, which took part last year.

But it is the hope of state agency Insports, who are the chief organiser that the best talents are identified at this early stage and developed further by the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF).

Now in its final year of a $60- million three-year agreement, title sponsor LIME, through its sponsorship manager Stephen Miller, said gains made so far are immeasurable.

“It is with a genuine sense of pride that I join you this morning representing LIME as title sponsor of this very important competition. We are very excited that we are embarking on the third year of our partnership with Insports of what is really a game-changing initiative,” Miller said.

He added: “In 2010 when we invested $60 million over three years many wondered how is it that we are going to make back our money. However, the truth is that this was just a demonstration of LIME’s commitment to Jamaica, which it has in fact invested $1 billion over the years in sport in Jamaica.”

For their part in endorsing the very popular event, Senior Education Officer in the Ministry of Education, Sonia Madden, told the players that the competition “should spur you on in doing even better”.

Said Madden: “The whole matter of exercising the mind is very important for it sets the stage for other things that we will do.

“It energises our spirit, and I am very, very sure that those of you who are competing that you will not only get the reward of knowing that you have done well on the field, but that academically you are also doing well in school.

“It should spur you on in doing even better. We continue to support every effort being made to enhance the development of sports in our school. So for those of you who are here today you are in a position to use this type of competition as a platform for getting further in the whole business of football.”

Meanwhile, in the opening games, defending champions Holy Family, of Kingston, defeated St Andrew Primary 2-0 to begin their title defence on a positive note.

St Elizabeth’s Holland Primary, who are the reigning parish champions, dismissed Elderslie Primary 4-1, while 2010 champions Lacovia Primary swamped Carisbrook Primary 7-0.