JOA’s “Kingston-Liberec Connection” deemed a pioneering move in the sport-film industry

By Sports Desk December 09, 2022
(I-r) Mayor  Zámečník, JOA President Christopher Samuda, Festival Director Renata Balašová, Film Writer and Producer Margriet de Schutter and sport publicist Jakub Bažant (I-r) Mayor Zámečník, JOA President Christopher Samuda, Festival Director Renata Balašová, Film Writer and Producer Margriet de Schutter and sport publicist Jakub Bažant Contributed

It will be a signal milestone when the Jamaica Olympic Association (JOA) initiates the "Kingston Liberec Connection" as a model partnership in the global sport film industry.

On a recent visit to the Czech Republic, JOA President, Christopher Samuda,  who was a guest of the Liberec Film Festival Organization, proposed an Olympic partnership  dubbed the "Kingston-Liberec Connection" - between the cities of  Kingston and Liberec in strengthening bi-lateral relationships between Jamaica and the Czech Republic in the sport film industry.

 

President Samuda, who was also a speaker at the festival, expressed confidence that the proposed partnership will serve to "birth and develop a sporting cultural economy that will see mutual investments in talents across the professional spectrum in the sport-film industry while giving the peoples of Jamaica and the Czech Republic opportunities to experience, in cinema and film, cultural realities of each other in bridging the oceanic divide."

Mayor Zámečník welcomed the proposal and signaled the support of the city of Liberec which has a very respectable and enviable history in sport and the film festival.

 

Within the context of history in the making, JOA Secretary General and Chief Executive Officer, Ryan Foster said “the JOA looks within but also beyond the boundaries of Jamaica for partners who, with us, will establish landmark executions and lasting legacies for the benefit of generations in the global village of sport."

  Meanwhile, Renata Balašová, director of the Liberec International Film Festival, which has a history spanning more than two decades, endorsed what promises to be an exciting and innovative “connection”.

Entitled the "Kingston Liberec Connection" the initiative comes at a time when the JOA's educational agenda, through its "Stamina" series, will be expanding its reach across the hemisphere building capacity in athletes, coaches and administrators intra and extra-regionally.

"We the JOA are a homegrown product rooted in the soil of Jamrock but this administration considers the apex body also as an international commodity in the business of sport as we play our part in sustaining an ever dynamic universal sport economy," Samuda said.

The Czech Olympic Committee has also expressed its support of what will be undoubtedly a groundbreaking “connection” in modern sport diplomacy.

 

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     Highlighting the evening was the presentation of cash rewards to the Paris Olympic medalists. Gold medalist Roje Stona was awarded JMD$3 million for his remarkable achievement, while silver medalists Kishane Thompson, Wayne Pinnock and Shanieka Ricketts received JMD$1.5 million each. Bronze medalists Rajindra Campbell and Rasheed Broadbell were each rewarded with JMD$1 million. Additionally, Jaydon Hibbert, the Olympic Spirit Award winner, recognized his outstanding sportsmanship, will receive JMD$500,000.

     In his address, JOA Secretary General Ryan Foster emphasized the significance of recognizing excellence and the JOA’s commitment to supporting Jamaica’s athletes. “Excellence is not time bound. It is timeless,” Foster said. “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 of which the Olympic movement is the cornerstone.”

     Olympic medalists with their plaques and trophies from left to right: Wayne Pinnock, Rajindra Campbell, Shanieka Ricketts, Roje Stona, Kishane Thompson, and Rasheed Broadbell. At right is rising star Jaydon Hibbert.

    Foster also unveiled a JMD$250 million investment plan for the next Olympic cycle, targeting key areas critical to athlete development. The funding will support scholarships and grants for 12 athletes aiming to qualify for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, amounting to JMD$80 million over the quadrennial. These funds will cover training, attendance at qualifying events, transportation, nutritional support, and access to advanced technology.

     An additional JMD$50 million will be invested in an equipment grant, ensuring athletes have the tools they need to train and compete effectively. Coaching scholarships, amounting to $50 million, will bolster the expertise of national and elite coaches, fostering the development of athletes at all levels. A travel grant of JMD$70 million will ensure that athletes can participate in crucial Olympic qualifying events without financial barriers.

     In summing up the JOA’s approach, Foster underscored the organization’s role as a key player in the sporting financial market. “The JOA is a major player in the sporting financial market as we continue to amass capital by brokering innovative partnerships and employing prudent strategies,” he said. “The Olympic Reward is an investment instrument that we have created, the dividends of which are payable to deserving sportsmen and women.”

    Looking ahead to the conclusion of the 2028 Olympic cycle, Foster revealed that $50 million is already being set aside for the next Olympic Salute, ensuring that future successes are met with equal recognition. “At the end of this Olympic cycle culminating in LA 2028, we will salute again, and of course, it is hoped that this investment of JMD$250 million will reap even greater dividends for our athletes,” he stated.

     Foster closed by reinforcing the JOA’s unwavering dedication to the athletes and their success. “We salute your excellence and will continue to provide avenues to monetize your hard work and your brand,” he said.

     The event was a testament to the JOA’s belief in Jamaica’s athletes and their potential to achieve greatness, both now and in the future.

     

     

     

     

     

     

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    Drawing inspiration from other global sports formats like tennis and Formula One, Grand Slam Track aims to create an experience that celebrates the culture of each host city. This aspect particularly resonates with the JOA’s vision of sports as a cultural and economic driver. “The concept is allied to the advocacy of the JOA,” Samuda noted, “as we treat sporting events as experiences in physical culture, fan engagement, cuisine, music, entertainment, and tourism—all of which are drivers in creating a viable sports industry.”

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    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.

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