The recent departure of four of Jamaica’s top field athletes to Türkiye has reignited a longstanding and often emotional debate: Should a cash-strapped government prioritize investing in athletes when nurses, teachers, and police officers are still fighting for livable wages?
It’s a fair question—but one grounded in a false choice.
This issue came to the fore again during my appearance on Lead Story on CVM TV last Friday. The suggestion was made that, in light of wage negotiations across the public sector, the government simply cannot afford to support its elite athletes. This argument, while politically expedient, ignores a key truth: investing in athletes is not a luxury or distraction—it is a strategic investment in national development, social mobility, and future economic growth.
Athletes are not entertainers performing for applause. They are cultural ambassadors, mentors, and living proof that talent, when nurtured, can transcend poverty, violence, and limited opportunity.
A Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, who emerged from the volatile community of Waterhouse to become one of the greatest sprinters of all time, is not merely a track icon—she is a social blueprint. Her story tells thousands of Jamaican children growing up in similarly harsh conditions that greatness is possible. Every time a child ties their shoelaces to train on a patchy field, inspired by someone like her, a new path is being carved away from crime, hopelessness, and underachievement.
And these athletes do more than just inspire from afar. They draw the world to Jamaica. Just recently, Usain Bolt—arguably the most recognizable Jamaican alive—was named the country’s Tourism Ambassador. Why? Because of what he represents globally as the face of Jamaica. Who else could have been appointed to that role and be as effective? This is why a safer, more optimistic Jamaica, shaped in part by sport, becomes a magnet for visitors and foreign investment. An athlete like Roje Stona, had he remained and received the right support, could have also emerged as a powerful ambassador of brand Jamaica. The more we invest in our elite athletes, the more global representatives we cultivate—each one contributing to our tourism product, our national identity, and our economic prospects.
There is also real, data-backed evidence that structured investment in sport delivers tangible social returns. A 2000 study by the Australian Institute of Criminology, titled Sport and Crime: A Report on the Role of Sports in Crime Prevention (source), provides compelling insights.
The report concludes that sports-based programmes can help reduce antisocial behaviour and criminal activity, particularly among youth. It highlights that sport provides a structured outlet for energy, fosters discipline and teamwork, and promotes positive peer associations. These qualities are especially potent in communities plagued by gang violence or low academic achievement—challenges familiar to many parts of Jamaica.
In short: support for sport is support for public safety.
And for those who prefer to speak in dollars and cents, here’s the economic truth: sport pays back—often many times over. Major global events such as the Olympics and World Championships generate billions in tourism, merchandise, broadcast rights, and investment. But even on a smaller scale, successful athletes create economic ripple effects.
From endorsement deals and brand ambassadorships to local club growth and sporting clinics, athletes fuel an entire ecosystem. When they train and win in the national kit, Jamaica benefits—economically, diplomatically, and reputationally.
The Australian study goes further, linking sports investment to increased government revenue. A healthier, more engaged youth population reduces long-term healthcare and policing costs. A booming sports economy creates jobs. The contribution of sport to the national economy also potentially increases government revenue, thereby creating greater fiscal space. With that expanded fiscal room, the government is ultimately in a stronger position to afford more agreeable wages for civil servants—including the very nurses, teachers, and police officers at the centre of the wage debate.
These dynamics, if harnessed strategically, can power a more sustainable and balanced approach to national development.
The idea that we must choose between paying civil servants and supporting athletes is a false binary. In fact, it is poor planning and vision that pits them against each other. Jamaica must build a development model that recognizes how all sectors—education, healthcare, security, and sport—are interconnected. Undervaluing one only weakens the rest.
No one is suggesting that nurses, police officers or teachers be paid less. But just as the country needs skilled professionals to teach, protect, and heal, we also need athletes who can inspire, lead, and elevate Jamaica on the world stage.
The moment we treat our best athletes as expendable, we risk not just losing medals, but losing an entire generation of young people who might have followed their lead.
And if we fail to see the wisdom in keeping our best at home, others—like Türkiye—certainly will.
Leighton Levy is a veteran sports journalist and Content Editor at Sportsmax.TV. He is passionate about Caribbean athlete development and the intersection of sport, culture, and nation-building.