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• Samuda empathizes with Comm Games Federation over scaled-down 2026 event; urges possible compensation for excluded sports

  Jamaica Olympic Association (JOA) president, Christopher Samuda, has expressed understanding and empathy toward the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) as they face the challenge of hosting a scaled-down version of the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland.

  With the event, traditionally a grand celebration of sport, culture, and unity, being reduced in size due to economic pressures, Samuda acknowledges the difficulties facing the CGF while also stressing the need to find ways to address the impact this decision will have on several sports that have been cut from the programme.

  Diving, rugby, squash, badminton, table tennis, hockey, triathlon, and cricket are among the sports that will not feature in the 2026 edition.

  The CGF initially struggled to find a host after the Australian state of Victoria withdrew last year, before Glasgow, known for its rich sporting history as a host city—including hosting the 2014 edition of the game—stepped in to save the 2026 Games. However, this comes with the reality of hosting a more compact edition than previous iterations.

  

  For Samuda, the situation is an unfortunate but understandable outcome in a global landscape.

  “The circumstances in which the Commonwealth Games Federation unavoidably found itself inevitably led to a scaled-down edition of the games. I regret the exclusion of badminton, table tennis, squash, and hockey; for those sports, the Jamaica Olympic Association has earmarked for real transitioning. The CGF’s decision was clearly influenced by commercial factors and the economy of a diminished sporting agenda, for at the end of the day, the games must be viable to ensure sustainability,” Samuda said.

  However, Samuda also noted that the decision to reduce the scope of the Games, which will see several sports omitted from the 2026 programme, raises important questions about the future of those disciplines within the Commonwealth sporting family.

  He argued that the CGF must find ways to compensate the sports that have been excluded, as they are integral to the diversity and spirit of the Commonwealth Games.

  “Going forward, however, the CGF has to develop a strategy that will compensate those sports that are being excluded so as not to lose the interest and confidence of their international federations, commercial partners, and most importantly, the players and athletes for whom sports exist,” he reasoned.

  Despite the current challenges, Samuda remains optimistic about the future of the Commonwealth Games and the role it plays in uniting nations through sport. He sees the 2026 edition in Glasgow as an opportunity to innovate and adapt, ensuring that the Games remain relevant in a changing world.

  

  The Games will feature a 10-sport programme across four venues within an eight-mile corridor, with more than 500,000 tickets made available for spectators.

  Athletics and swimming are included as compulsory sports for 2026, while there will also be track cycling, gymnastics, netball, weightlifting, boxing, judo, bowls, and 3x3 basketball.

  “It is critical that the next games, while being an economic reinvention, should retain that unique traditional value that has given many sports and invaluable space on the Commonwealth sporting agenda and which have made it competitive as a sporting and commercial product amidst growing competition for the partnership dollar and public viewership and appeal,” Samuda said.

• JOA taking the lead in Sport Education

  The Jamaica Olympic Association (JOA) continues to put training and education at the centre of sport development.

  Through the Advanced Sports Management Course (ASMC), a partnership with Olympic Solidarity, and its own activation “Stamina,” the JOA offers stakeholders a curriculum of  practical and comprehensive principles and best practices.

  Ethics, business, law, finance, brand and marketing, human resource development, science and information technology merge with other subjects in providing an inter-disciplinary menu in sport education. 

  The JOA directors are taking the lead and continuing to share their professional competencies and experience as well success models with sport leaders in the ASMC, another edition of which will begin later this year. 

  JOA President, Christopher Samuda, a prominent Attorney-at-Law and an executive board member of regional sport organisations, will construct for participants a successful sport association within a constitutional and legal framework. 

  JOA Secretary General and CEO, Ryan Foster, will share  the breadth of his expertise as a noted and well-respected Chartered Accountant and his  experience as chairman of regional sport Finance Commissions in underscoring the importance of financial literacy, competence, planning, accountability, transparency and viability. 

  Treasurer of the apex governing body, Nichole Case, who is the Divisional Chief Information Officer for the GraceKennedy Financial Group, brings to the table her corporate credentials and know-how in information systems and technology in outlining industry policies and practices for the benefit of sport associations while established businessman and CEO of Mayberry Investments Limited, Gary Peart, will provide invaluable business principles and strategies as  indispensable elements of successful sport entities. 

  The JOA’s clear policy of investing in training and education is geared towards creating a knowledge-based sector as a prerequisite of a sport industry. Secretary General Foster summarizes the philosophy and approach of the national institution. “You can’t create if you don’t educate. You can’t be the best if you don’t invest and we, the JOA,  believe that to succeed we must take the lead” he said. 

  The ASMC is an internationally recognised and intense six-month   educational programme covering, in depth, critical aspects of sport administration. “It’s not a talkfest but an edu-sport multi-disciplinary test” President Samuda remarked.

• JOA to honour Jamaica's Paris Olympians at inaugural "Olympic Salute" on November 16

  For the first time in Jamaica's Olympic history, the Jamaica Olympic Association (JOA) will host a formal ceremony to honour the nation’s athletes who competed in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Dubbed “Olympic Salute,” the event is scheduled for November 16 and will recognize and applaud the achievements of the country’s Olympians in a celebration that promises to blend tradition with modern elegance.

   JOA President Christopher Samuda described the event as more than just an evening of glamour, saying, “It will be yesterday’s quintessential traditions blending with contemporary tastes, with both seated comfortably in the values of sport which we celebrate and give primacy in the Olympic movement.” Samuda’s words highlight the significance of this event, which will honour not only the athletes' achievements but also the deeper values and spirit of Olympism that guide their efforts.

   Set to be an extraordinary affair, “Olympic Salute” will be a quadrennial tradition moving forward, held after each Olympic Games to celebrate Jamaica’s sporting excellence. JOA Secretary General and CEO Ryan Foster emphasized the lasting importance of such a ceremony, noting, “Excellence is not time-bound. It is timeless. So whenever and wherever the JOA observes it, we will applaud with respect and record for posterity while saluting our Olympic ambassadors, those inspired change makers of a great sporting heritage.”

   While the event promises a sophisticated and grand atmosphere, with white gloves, pageantry, and all the trappings of a formal occasion, the core of “Olympic Salute” will be its solemn recognition of the dedication, resilience, and grit shown by Jamaica’s athletes. As Samuda further explained, “It is much more than deserving smiles and golden handshakes. It is a celebration of the mettle, resilience, and gravitas of the Olympic spirit exemplified in historic and gallant performances of our sportsmen and women.”

   During the ceremony, the JOA will also unveil a new accolade—the Order of Pre-eminence, which will be the highest honour bestowed by the national sports body. This award is part of the JOA’s ongoing commitment to recognizing not just athletic success but also the values of integrity, sporting valour, and excellence that characterize Jamaica’s contribution to the global sporting community.

   The “Olympic Salute” marks a historic milestone in Jamaica’s Olympic movement and is expected to set a standard for future celebrations of the nation’s Olympians, who continue to inspire generations with their dedication and achievements on the world stage.