The much anticipated 2009-10 season of Jamaica’s premier Knock-Out football competition- the Flow Champions Cup – was launched at the offices of the Jamaica Football Federation and will kick-off its First Round on February 18^th. Jamaica’s Broadband communications Company and title sponsor, Flow, entered the second of a three-year, $28 million sponsorship of the all island knockout tournament.

For the 2009-10 season, the Flow Champions Cup winner will receive $800,000, a 33% increase from the 2008-9 season, while the runners-up will receive $400,000, a 33% increase from last season. Each of the four semi-final losers will receive $200,000, while each quarter-final loser will pocket $90,000. Other major incentives for this season include $70,000 for the competition’s most valuable player, with $50,000 going to the winning coach and the top goal-scorer respectively.

Last season’s champions, Boys Town, and twenty-five other teams – all twelve National Premier League teams and fourteen Parish Champions –  will contest this year’s staging of the Flow Champions Cup, to be played over five rounds, from February 18 to April 18. Action in the first round (February 18) will see the bottom six premier league teams as of December 31, 2009, along with all fourteen Parish Champions taking to the field, with matchups and home teams determined by the draw event conducted at the launch.

The top six premier league teams as of the end of 2009 receive an automatic bye into the second round (to be played on March 3 & 4), where they will be grouped with the ten teams advancing from the first round. Again, matchups and home grounds will be determined by a random draw. Those eight victorious teams then move on to the quarter-finals to be played on March 17 and 18, with the semi-finals being played on March 28 and the final on April 18.

The 2009 competition will be staged under the theme “Represent”, in keeping with the drive to urge all teams and their supporters to showcase the best of their parishes and communities to an international audience of viewers throughout the Caribbean. The theme was unveiled with the airing of a music video by popular dancehall act, Elephant Man.

The sponsors also announced a “Goals for Haiti” campaign as a feature of this year’s competition. Each goal netted in the FLOW Champions Cup will help to capture hope for Haiti as Flow and SportsMax will donate J$3,000 for each goal scored in normal regulation time. This presentation will be made through the Jamaica Red Cross Haiti Relief effort.

In addition, sports marketers and regional broadcasters, SportsMax is back on board as the event marketing and execution managers and the official television partners for this year’s competition. SportsMax will bring the Flow Champions Cup to regional viewers in 25 countries, while coverage will also be provided by CVM television in Jamaica in all 5 rounds. KLAS FM 89 will also provide live radio action.   Other sponsors of the FLOW Champions Cup include Locker Room Sports who made a presentation of 1 ball to each team, Irie FM, The Jamaica Observer and CPTC.