Jamaican artistic gymnast Danusia Francis has heaped praises on the Institute of Sports (INSPORTS) for providing her with funding as she fine-tunes her preparation for the Olympic Games in Tokyo in July.
The 27-year-old Francis, who is the only Jamaican gymnast to qualify for the 2021 Olympics to date, is a beneficiary of the Athletes Assistance and Welfare Fund orchestrated by the Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sports, the Honourable Olivia Grange.
“I have received funding from the Institute of Sports and I am so, so grateful for this,” said Francis, who is based in London.
“With gymnastics being a fairly new sport in Jamaica I never expected to receive much support financially and so, I do work alongside my training,” she revealed.
Francis continued: “But receiving this funding from the Institute of Sports allowed me to work less hours and focus more on my training and I think this will be a great factor in delivering the result I want when we get to Tokyo”.
Francis is just one of a number of athletes across various sporting disciplines that have received funding designed to provide financial assistance to national sportsmen and women preparing for the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
The Government through the Institute of Sports is providing support to approximately 124 athletes to the tune of $45m. The program was implemented for the first time in March 2020.
Francis, who is expected to be joined by Jamaica’s first gymnast to the Olympic Games in 2016 -- Toni-Ann Williams – said training has been going well.
“My preparations for the Olympics are going well, I feel like it is right on track. Just building fitness and trying to put those finishing touches on my routines,” Francis pointed out.
“I am competing in a few weeks and I am really excited to get back out there on the competition floor in that mindset, dust off the cobwebs and I think this will give me a nice confidence boost before going to Tokyo,” she added.
“This is my second Olympic Games. In 2012, I was a reserve so I didn’t actually get to compete. So this time, out there on the competition floor Jamaican fans can expect to see the same charisma that Jamaican athletes are known for. I will be out there with a great big smile, I will be wearing the Jamaican flag and I will do my best to make everybody proud,” said Francis.