by Global News Staff
Jamaica — Hundreds of people have marched through Haiti’s capital Port au Prince to protest the removal of the country’s football squad from the youth tournament in Jamaica on health grounds.
Jamaica’s Ministry of Health recommended to CONCACAF under 17 tournament officials last week that the Haitian squad be forced to withdraw. That followed tests that showed at least two players had tested positive for malaria.
Jamaica said the decision was “unavoidable and necessary in order to safeguard public health”.
However, Yves Jean Bart, president of the Haitian Football Federation, called the decision an outrage.
Saturday’s protest reportedly drew about 1,500 people and the Jamaican flag was burnt by protestors.
Meanwhile, in Jamaica, the opposition People’s National Party patriots group condemned the burning of the Jamaican flag by protesters in Haiti.
In a release to the media the group described the desecration of the national flag as a terrible insult.
“Under no circumstances can such behaviour at any level be countenanced. Even if the Haitian people are angry about the perceived treatment of their team members and officials who were recently withdrawn from the CONCACAF U 17 Tournament, there is absolutely no justification for this ungracious action,” the release stated.
“We are, however, equally of the view that an immediate apology would be established in CARICOM if an official apology is not forthcoming from the Haitian authorities,” the group said.
