JAAA President Garth Gayle recently announced that Jamaica’s young athletes can now benefit from the elite services offered at the Red Bull Athlete Performance Centre (APC), both overseas and locally, through a partnership between the Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association (JAAA) and Red Bull.
This collaboration marks the company’s investment in the development of Jamaica’s Under-18 and Under-20 national teams, giving them access to world-class resources including physiotherapy, strength and conditioning, performance assessments, medical services, and rehabilitation.
“Red Bull is proud to be working with the JAAA, our first Athletics Federation partner globally” said Marc-Oliver Kochan, Managing Director, Red Bull Athlete Performance Centre. “Jamaica’s track and field legacy is world-renowned, and we are looking forward to supporting the next generation of young athletes on their journey. We are really excited to help them realize their dreams and provide them with the tools, services, and support they need—not just to succeed in sport, but also in life.”
Gayle noted, “This sponsorship will allow the JAAA to provide a holistic programme, stay on track with the important components for their wellbeing and consistent performance. This is one of the objectives of the JAAA, and this level of support will ensure that no young athlete will be left behind.”
Eatmon noted that this is the first time that Red Bull is partnering with an athletics organization globally, and that they are proud that they chose the JAAA. “It means that they believe in what we’re doing, they believe in our programme, and they believe in the potential of our athletes,” he said.
Red Bull Athlete Performance Programme representatives Dr, Helge Ripenot Medical Doctor; Peter Muller, Head of Therapy; and Fionn MacPartlin, Head of Strength Training also attended the Boys and Girls High School Championships. It must have made them happy that our amazing young athletes will receive the expert assistance of their APC.
We can never forget Dr Velma Pollard’s spirited dance to the live mento band at a CCRP outing to Milk River Hotel & Mineral Spa. Her joie-de-vivre, reflected in her warm smile, would charm her fellow members at various outings. The celebrated writer, who passed away at 87 on February 1, never rested on her laurels and was a mentor to many.
“Rest peacefully, Velma Pollard,” wrote the Observer’s Bookends coordinator Sharon Leach. “I will always remember your kindness, your interest in my writing, and your encouragement… and more than anything else, your relentless support of the Sunday Observer’s Bookends.”
In lauding Dr Pollard’s achievements, Culture Minister Olivia “Babsy” Grange remarked on her affirmation of Jamaican patois and her publications From Jamaican Creole to Standard English: A Handbook for Teachers and Dread Talk: The Language of Rastafari.
“Along with her sister, Dr Erna Brodber, also a critically acclaimed author, Pollard organised an annualEmancipation watchnight vigil in Woodside, where members of the community and the wider Jamaica could come and reflect on the significance of Emancipation,” noted Minister Grange.
Blogger Emma Lewis wrote a memorable tribute, ending with: “… her delightful, sometimes sharp humour, her warmth and her encouraging and sympathetic manner endeared her to many. She will be missed by Jamaicans of all ages, especially younger writers. Her passing leaves a gap in Jamaica’s cultural narrative, which she so effortlessly and warmly expressed.”
My deepest sympathy to Dr Pollard’s beloved family and friends. May her great soul rest in peace.
Lee Henderson (left) and Anna Horndahl (centre), co-founders of the Kingstad Serendipity Fund, are seen with Miguel “Steppa” Williams, director of strategic planning and community development at Digicel Foundation, at the recent handover of a state-of-the-art football field at Pembroke Hall Primary School.
Pembroke Hall Primary in St Andrew has unveiled its upgraded football field, a US$100,000-project that has transformed the school’s outdoor space into a safe and functional environment for students.
The initiative was made possible through a collaboration between the Kingstad Serendipity Fund and Digicel Foundation — which contributed a US$20,000 grant as part of its 20-for-20-for-20 Community Development programme.
The project involved the procurement and installation of 19,065 square feet of high-grade synthetic turf and related materials, providing a state-of-the-art facility for sports and physical education.
The field was dedicated to the memory of Estreana Rebecca Morrison, the grandmother of Lee Henderson, the Jamaican-raised US businessman and co-founder of the Kingstad Serendipity Fund.This project is deeply personal to me — it’s a way to give back to the school and community that were instrumental in shaping the person I’ve become,” said Henderson.“As a child, I played on this very field, which was made of dirt and uneven patches. It posed safety risks and became unusable during rainy periods,” added Henderson. The Kingstad Serendipity Fund plans to establish the Kingstad Football Club, giving young athletes a platform to develop their talents while learning life skills such as teamwork and discipline.“Every dollar generated by the football club and field will be reinvested into the school. These funds will support the team, provide upgrades in technology, and enhance the school’s infrastructure, ensuring Pembroke Hall remains a beacon of excellence for generations to come,” declared Henderson.
In the meantime, Charmaine Daniels, CEO of the Digicel Foundation, emphasised her organisation’s commitment to empowering communities through strategic partnerships.
“The Digicel Foundation is thrilled to support Pembroke Hall Primary in creating this modern football field. Sports play a vital role in youth development, teaching critical values like discipline, teamwork, and resilience.
“By partnering with the Kingstad Serendipity Fund, we’re ensuring students have a safe space to grow and to dream big,” said Daniels.
Jamaica’s Danielle Williams takes ussies with fans as she celebrates after winning the women’s 100m hurdles final. Contributed photo: ANDREJ ISAKOVIC.
It was an amazing week for our Jamaican athletes and their fans as we ran, jumped, and hammer threw vicariously with them at the Budapest 2023 World Athletics Championships.
At the time of writing, Jamaica is second to the US in the points standings, with Kenya in third place. In medal standings we are fourth behind the US, Canada, and Spain. What a performance by our team, with gold medals from Danielle Williams in the women’s 100m hurdles, young Antonio Watson in the 400m event, and Shericka Jackson in a World Championships record of 21.41 seconds in the women’s 200m. We copped silvers from Hansle Parchment in the 110m hurdles, Wayne Pinnock in the long jump, Shericka Jackson in the 100m and the women’s 4×100 relay.
Antonio Watson Contributed photo: Naphtali Junior.
It was in the women’s 4×100 relay that Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce once again showed her grit. We noticed that she was not moving with her usual rhythm towards the end of her second leg to hand over the baton to Sashalee Forbes and at the end of the brilliant silver-medal run was not seen. We learnt later that she pulled a muscle in her right knee and had gone to get medical attention. What a champion she is! Track and field analyst Bruce James noted that the reflex action in such emergencies is to drop the baton and hold the injured limb but that mothers respond differently. “Mothers are amazing,” he enthused. “Shelly is amazing.”
We congratulate Shelly-Ann on her bronze in the 100m and the other bronze winners Rushell Clayton in the 400m hurdles, Tajay Gayle in the long jump and the men’s 4×100 relay. All team members deserve kudos because points are awarded up to eighth place, depending on the event, and it must have been their never-say-die attitude in the face of some of the biggest stars that took us to number two in the points tally.
Shericka Jackson Contributed photo – Naphtali Junior
Can Jamaica shine too?
Leahcim Semaj, basking in the glory of our athletes, posted questions that this column has been asking since 2008: “What if … Jamaica, as a nation, replicate the model that we have successfully used to become world-class in athletics in other areas of national life? Do we have the will? Is there the leadership?” I believe the key question is: Do we have the will? We have quality people in our Houses of Parliament and in our Cabinet, but it continues to be a puzzle as to why some are so slow to step up and deliver. We hear complaints about low productivity in areas of public service but in this day of high tech there must be ways to measure this.
On a positive note, our team members who attended a forum held by the Norman Manley International Airport last Friday, said that Opposition spokesman on transportation Mikael Phillips hailed Minister Daryl Vaz for speedily addressing the issues which now fall to his portfolio.
That same day Vaz saw to the off-loading of 50 new buses for the Jamaica Urban Transit Company. Jamaicans with disabilities will be happy to hear that these vehicles have been modified to accommodate those with mobility issues. We have ministers who can hold their own anywhere in the world and we can only hope they are not being held back by the internal political tensions that occur in both parties.
This is what we value in the world of athletics: When you are out there on the track or in the field, no one can try to hide your achievements. When you submit yourself to testing no one can accuse you of unethical behaviour. Although she was not selected for the 4×100, Elaine Thompson-Herah posted on social media: “Well done, ladies (heart emojis). One side Jamaica (flag emoji).”
A coalition for good
People have scoffed at Economic Programme Oversight Committee Chairman Keith Duncan’s call for a coalition of political parties to tackle the hard challenges that the country must overcome. This is because we are so steeped in this hostile political environment that we refuse to look towards the “One Jamaica” of which Thompson-Herah speaks.
As we tackle this crime monster, which has now resulted in the second firebombing, we refuse to accept that our political representatives could be so callous as to refuse to come together and agree on crime-fighting solutions.
Naomi “Miss Sweeney” Gocul, a senior citizen beloved by her neighbours, lost her life because of the cruel injuries she received from the Gregory Park firebombing. Jamaica’s senior citizens are the bedrock of their communities and the most faithful voters, there should be no question about finding the ways and means to protect these goodly Jamaicans.
Our netball star Latanya Wilson and her family were burnt out in the Central Kingston firebombing. How can this be her reward for flying our flag so high? Many of our athletes come from very humble communities, it is cynical to have time for them only when they bring us glory but have little care for the conditions under which they live.
May the achievements of our hard-working athletes inspire us to turn a new page for Jamaica. Where there is a will, there is a way.
Norman and Cecile Jarrett enjoy themselves at a CCRP party.
Happy 100th, Norman Jarrett!
CCRP, the advocacy organisation for seniors, has been joining forces with the National Council for Senior Citizens to celebrate the 100th birthdays of Jamaicans.
Yesterday we made a special presentation to CCRP 2017 Living Legacy Honoree Norman Jarrett, who was born on July 27, 1923.
He is a passionate activist for the improvement of literacy among Jamaica’s young students and established the Norman and Cecile Jarrett Literacy Improvement Programme with his wife, fellow educator Cecile, in 2011. Through this programme, the Jarretts work with primary school students in the downtown Kingston area to improve their literacy. The project has been embraced by the Kiwanis Club of Downtown Kingston, of which he is the chairman of the Human and Spiritual Values Committee.
Jarrett’s career as a teacher began in 1941 at Annotto Bay Elementary School as a pretrained teacher. After graduating from Mico Teachers’ College [now The Mico University College] he served as an all-age school principal for 20 years and at another school for nine years.
He was music coordinator and teacher at Papine High School for three years and spent the following 18 years as the training coordinator at the Jamaica Industrial Corporation and as an inspector and travelling officer with the Factories Corporation of Jamaica.
As a perennial volunteer, Jarrett has taught music at the Church of the Transfiguration Basic School for 30 years and he served as the full-time organist at Stella Maris Roman Catholic Church for 22 years. The spry Jarrett still finds time to play the organ on a part-time basis in several churches around Jamaica, The Bahamas, and Canada. Among his many awards, he has received the Badge of Honour for Long and Faithful Service in the fields of music and education.
Happy 100th Birthday to a great Jamaican, Norman Jarrett, and congratulations to his supportive wife Cecile and other members of their caring family.
Jean Lowrie-Chin is the executive chair of PROComm and CCRP.
Jennifer McDonald, Chief Executive Officer, PSOJ; presenting at The UWI Mona Regional Disabilities Studies Conference on March 12, 2018.
The UWI Centre for Disability Studies (UWICDS) held its Regional Disability Studies Conference on Wednesday March
7, 2018. The theme for this conference is “Enhancing the Disability Agenda through Sports and Culture in the Caribbean.” The CEO of the PSOJ, Ms. Jennifer
McDonald, made a presentation at the Centre for Disability Studies regional
conference: “The importance of public-private partnership in the advocacy,
implementation and advancement of the lives of persons with disabilities in sports
and culture.”
McDonald informed the audience that addressing matters related to Disabilities is
one of PSOJ’s 4 core focus for 2018, which falls under Vulnerable Groups and
Gender Affairs. Other areas for advocacy includes: Innovation and Technology;
Climate Change; Crime and Public Safety.
“Jamaica possesses a strong platform with demonstrated excellence in Sports and
Culture locally, regionally and internationally” said Ms. McDonald. She reiterated
that “Our annual Boys and Girls Championships and the Jamaican festival
movement which have honed the skills of our athletes and artiste over the years.”
The actualisation of programmes and initiatives built through partnerships are
precedence of how public-private partnerships can work to improve these areas for
the advancement of Persons with Disabilities.
During her presentation McDonald quoted Sydney Thorpe, keyboard player of the
renowned Fab 5 – “People were fascinated because they had never seen a visually
challenged person playing three keyboards at a time, much less sitting on a revolving
stool, spinning and playing the keyboards … I didn’t have anything to prove to
anybody because I was in a band that was a top band,” he said.
Ms. McDonald, stated that, “the advancement of PWDs in sports and culture can
facilitate professional integration through the development of income generating
activities. These activities will also: promote increased participation of PWDs in
community life; increase the level of education of PWD through training; Educateand inform the wider public about PWDs and increase their chances of access to
basic social services.”
She further stated that, “members of the private sector can assist with the
advancement of PWDs in the areas of Sports and Culture by: having members of
their staff volunteer to work with institutions or organisations that provide services
to PWDs; making strategic decisions to support a particular sport, art form or
individual already engaging in either areas of discipline; making donations to
existing programmes or projects that will advance the exposure and improve on the
skills of PWDs in these areas.”
The UWI Centre for Disabilities Studies biennial conference is geared at bringing
together, the academic community, the public and private sector, civil society and
members from the community of persons with disabilities; in an academic
environment to articulate topics of critical importance to one of our most vulnerable
groups.
A persistent two-fisted body attack, was the tactic used by Ramel ‘Sub Zero’ Lewis last Friday night, at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre in St. Michael, Barbados, to earn himself a split decision verdict in his six-round junior middleweight bout against Barbadian Christopher ‘Shaka’ Henry.
Two judges voted 59-56 each for Lewis, while the other judge voted 58-56 for Henry. This was the main event on a six-bout, Pro-Am Card. In one of the three amateur contests, Jamaica’s Felice Groves lost on points to Barbadian Mary Frazer, in a bout in which she should have been declared the winner by tko in the first round.
The Lewis versus Henry contest was a bruising, action-packed affair from start to finish. Henry, who is 6 feet tall, had a distinct reach advantage over the 5′ 5″ Lewis, and tried to use the jab as his main weapon. Lewis caught on to this quickly, however, and kept boring in successfully. His body shots rattled Henry, who although outgunned, had a few moments of glory himself. Lewis told The Gleaner that Henry was particularly decisive in the fifth round.
“He came on strong in the fifth and caught me with some really good shots, but I was able to hang in there, and then come back strong in the final round,” Lewis said. “It was a good hard fight, and I had to work hard to beat Shaka, who had the crowd behind him all the way, and this assisted him.”
Lewis added that he was happy for the victory and that it will boost his confidence going into 2017.
Groves met Mary Frazer in a four- round amateur bout, and started aggressively. A recording of the bout showed that within the first 30 seconds of the contest, she was all over Frazer, and caught her with a solid right to the chin that floored her. Frazer landed on her back with legs in the air, but got to her feet as the referee reached the count of two. She stumbled back, however, and was falling to the canvas again, when she was caught by the referee and taken to a neutral corner.
He then spoke with her for about 30 seconds, while she recovered. Instead of awarding the bout to Groves, the referee inexplicably signalled that it be resumed. Frazer survived the remainder of the round, regained her composure in the second round, made it a close contest thereafter and was eventually awarded a points victory.
Coach Carl Grant, who accompanied the boxers to Barbados, told The Gleaner that there was no doubt in his mind that the referee blundered, and that Groves clearly won the bout in the first round.
Jamaica’s swimming sensation and GraceKennedy Brand Ambassador Alia Atkinson has been occupied this festive season with visiting organisations that have supported her, and expressing her gratitude. Among these was GraceKennedy (GK) Group, whose headquarters she visited in downtown Kingston on Monday, December 19. There she spent quality time with Don Wehby, CEO, GraceKennedy Group, and the staff members. Here, as part of her visit, Wehby shows her a photograph he still cherishes which includes him, Atkinson and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, another GK brand ambassador.
MONTEGO BAY, St James — FINA Short Course world record holder Alia Atkinson has lauded the assistance from her sponsors Rainforest Seafoods and the Amateur Swimming Association of Jamaica (ASAJ) in helping her reach to the top of word swimming.
At a luncheon held in her honour yesterday at the offices of Rainforest Seafoods in Freeport, Montego Bay, Atkinson, who won three medals at the recent FINA World Short Course Swimming Championships in Windsor, Canada, presented her sponsors with one of her medals from the World Cup held in Doha, Qatar. She told them she would not have been able to accomplish most of her targets this year without their help.
“Swimming was not that big here in Jamaica and I needed the finance, I needed the help,” she admitted. “Not only did it help me reach to meets that I could not reach before, but it made me feel somewhat like I was on the same level playing field as the rest of the world.”
Atkinson, who suffered a major disappointment after finishing last in her pet event, the 100m breastroke at the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in August, said the swimmers from other countries got everything they needed to enhance their performances. “The silliest things that you can even think of,” she said, before noting that even the arrangements by the world governing body for swimming favoured those from the more developed countries.
“At the last World Championships, there were six different hotels and all the countries that were expected to medal were in the best hotels, and the others were in the rickety ones around the corner. Everything, from the food and the environment, was a step down.”
It was the support from her sponsors and the ASAJ, she said, that made the difference for her. “If it was not for the support from Rainforest and from Jamaica swimming and Jamaica itself, I would not be able to bring myself up to that level and know that I could do well,” she said.
“It’s not just about you giving someone money…it’s hard to say, but it embodies who I am and it keeps me fighting.”
This season has seen ups and downs, she said, from the Olympics let down to breaking a World Short Course 100m breaststroke record and finish the season strongly. But she said she will fight on.
“There have been ups and down; life is a fight and we can’t give up because life throws you a curveball when you are expecting a straight one,” she said. “I want to build up swimming for people of colour, and for Jamaica; I want to build up children’s characters and teach them that they must try to excel and not just to give up.”
Roger Lyn, marketing manager for Rainforest Seafoods, called Atkinson a “true ambassador, the type of person we want to align our brand with, not just being an athlete, but the example that you set”.
In his welcome he said the alignment between the swimmer and the brand was perfect. “We are seafood and all about the ocean, so we are happy to make the partnership happen this year.”
Ernest Grant, general manager of Rainforest Seafoods, said Atkinson had raised the profile of the sport. “You are now a household name and have inspired many others,” he said, as he reminded Jamaicans that athletes are not just those who run and jump.
Amidst cool conditions and a wet course, 29-year-old Kirk Brown and 16-year-old Llori Sharpe emerged the men’s and women’s champions, respectively, at the fifth staging of the annual Digicel Imagine 5K Night Run for Special Needs in downtown Kingston on Saturday.
Brown, the 2015 champion and three-time winner of the event, was 11 seconds faster than 23-year-old Oshane Archibald, who was the second-place finisher, while Dwayne Graham clocked a respectable 17 minutes and three seconds to take third place in the men’s category.
Although the 2016 win was not one of his best winning times, Brown focused. “My aim was to come out here and win it another year. The wet roads made it a bit more challenging, but I’m glad I made it though.”
His female counterpart, Sharpe, who is also a junior Team Jamaica triathlete, crossed the finish line at 21 minutes and 47 seconds ahead of her closest rivals, 14-year-old Chantay Chamberlain and 36-year-old Arieta Martin, who came in 22 and 48 seconds later, respectively.
The teen was undaunted by wet surface conditions and held her composure all the way to the finish.
She reflected: “My objective was to make sure that I got out ahead of the pack that usually forms early in the race, and then get into my rhythm, increase my pace and cross the finish line.”
The win, she said, gives her confidence to go farther as a triathlete.
Brown and Sharpe lead a field of over 13,500 participants — the highest-ever for the fast-growing annual event.
In the coming weeks, Digicel will announce the total sum raised from the 5K and will hand over the monies to the nine beneficiaries, namely, the Jamaica Autism Support Association, Jamaica Down’s Syndrome Foundation, Early Stimulation Plus, Jamaica Association on Intellectual Disabilities, Mustard Seed Communities, Special Olympics Jamaica, Jamaica Paralympic Association, Abilities Foundation, and the Caribbean Christian Centre for the Deaf/Deaf Can! Coffee.
The Digicel Imagine Night Run was sponsored by Mello FM, Marksman, PayPak, Jamaica Producers Group, Urban Development Corporation, Express Fitness, Main Event Entertainment, National Outdoor Advertising, Dairy Industries Jamaica Ltd, Honeybun, Innovative Signs, Jamaica Producers, ARRC Media, ProComm, The Lab, Courts Ready Cash, Courts Optical, Running Events, Pure National Ice, Logostitch, Gatorade, and Kingston & St Andrew Corporation.
Event raises some J$4M for Pocket Rocket Foundation Education Fund
Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce with the memorabilia auctioned.
On Thursday, May 5, GraceKennedy supported Jamaica’s first ever silent auction put on by its Ambassador Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce. The auction featuring mobile bidding for signed sports memorabilia exceeded its intended target of $3million, raising a whopping $4 million plus for the scholarship fund for Shelly-Ann’s Pocket Rocket Foundation. The event, held at The Spanish Court Hotel Hall, was supported by GraceKennedy’s FGB, GKRS, GK General Insurance and GraceKennedy Corporate brands.
With Dr. Michael Abrahams as MC and President of the Pocket Rocket Foundation Bruce James guiding the mobile bidding process, regular updates on the popular items were provided to encourage the audience to submit their best offers. The 14 items available fetched impressive bids, with a jersey from superstar footballer Neymar Jr., shoes from LeBron James and spikes from Shelly-Ann attracting the highest individual bids. A precision timepiece by Swiss watchmakers Ernst Benz and a signed 2014 PGA Championship Valhalla flag donated by PGA Golfer Rory Mcllroy, also attracted impressive bids.
Guest speaker, Olympian Sherone Simpson shared stories of her success, despite the pressures of a demanding athletic career and her focus on her academics.
Guests included Shelly-Ann’s sponsors, Board Members of the Pocket Rocket Foundation, MVP Track & Field Club teammates and sports enthusiasts.
Jamaica Highlights 