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• JOA awards cash rewards to Olympic medalists, unveils JMD$300m investment for LA 2028

  The Jamaica Olympic Association (JOA) celebrated the achievements of Jamaica’s medalists from the 2024 Paris Olympic Games in a lavish ceremony at the Terra Nova Hotel in Kingston on Saturday night. During the event, the JOA not only rewarded the athletes for their extraordinary performances but also announced a groundbreaking $300 million investment for the 2028 Olympic cycle.

   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.

   

   

   

   

   

   

• JAGA president Grant-Brown, sponsors excited at inaugural Carifta Gymnastics Champs’ promise for young Caribbean talent

  With the longtime vision of a Carifta Artistic Gymnastics Championship set to come to fruition, Jamaica Gymnastics Association (JAGA) president Nicole Grant-Brown says it represents a transformative step toward greater regional collaboration and growth for Caribbean gymnasts.

  Grant-Brown shared her views during the Championships’ launch on Thursday, as she beamed with delight about the prospects of fostering development for the next generation of gymnasts in the region through the event, which she believes will become a staple on the calendar for years to come.

  Mayberry Investments and Supreme Ventures Limited will serve as main sponsors for the inaugural staging to be held at the National Indoor Sports Centre on November 29-30.

  “We are excited about this and the fact that we are the host for the very first one. It's really a channel that we're going to use for development within the region. As a region, we want to develop together; we want to do things together because that is the way to go. Right now, we are behind most of the other regions in terms of the Asians, the Europeans, and the Africans; even within our own PanAm region, our small Caribbean unit is behind,” Grant-Brown told SportsMax.Tv during the launch at JAGA’s Slipe Road base.

  “So we want to ensure that what we are doing will help with our development and will help to keep kids in the sport because it would mean they have something to look forward to. That is one of the drawbacks. When they get to a certain age, they don't want to do the sport anymore because there's nothing really to motivate them. So hopefully this will help to motivate and help them to work hard to be the best, so it's very important to us,” she added.

  Grant-Brown stressed that the Carifta Gymnastics Championships, which will feature competitors aged 7 to 20 from Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados, Bermuda, St Vincent and the Grenadines, the Bahamas, and the Cayman Islands, will provide young gymnasts with an unprecedented opportunity to gain experience and exposure on a larger stage.

  “When Caribbean nations come together to compete, it's real competition. We compete harder against each other than we do any other nation. So expect tight competition and camaraderie because they are also friends, and I am sure they will all be competing at the highest level. But again, this championship is more than just a competition; it’s an investment in the potential of young athletes who will be able to showcase their talent and passion for gymnastics,” Grant-Brown shared.

  That said, Grant-Brown expressed gratitude to the sponsors, coaches, and everyone involved in making this inaugural event a reality, as she looks to the future of the championships and the continued growth of gymnastics in the Caribbean.

  “The planning phase to put this together was very short, so I must commend these countries for really committing to this aspect of the development process. I think we are doing something good, and we don't want to get ahead of ourselves, but we have sponsors that actually called us to be a part of this whole journey with us, and if they're calling, it means we are visible. It means we are doing something well, and we just want to continue,” a beaming Grant-Brown said.

  “With this event, we are building a legacy for young gymnasts. This is just the beginning. The Carifta Gymnastics Championships will be a stepping stone to regional and international success, and we are proud to lay the foundation right here in Jamaica,” she noted. 

  Meanwhile, Desiree Wheeler, senior marketing manager at Mayberry Investments, emphasized that their involvement in the Carifta Gymnastics Championships aligns with their mission to support and promote young talent in the region.

  “Mayberry has always had a long-standing relationship not only with the JOA but also the Gymnastics Association, so over the years, it's just been incredible to watch their growth. As a company, we understand the importance of nurturing young talent from an early age.

  “So with this being a regional competition, it's really amazing because not only does it bring light to Jamaica as a gymnastics hub, but the sport also fosters discipline, confidence, and a strong work ethic—traits that will benefit these young athletes both on and off the mat and just further build the gymnastics community,” Wheeler stated.

  For Chloleen Daley Muschett, the corporate communications and PR manager at Supreme Ventures, their involvement is an investment in youth empowerment and also in Jamaica’s role as a sports destination.

  “This partnership with gymnastics actually comes through our partnership with the JOA. So, you know, we recommitted this year to supporting the JOA for another five years, and so gymnastics is one of those sports that we are definitely attaching our name to. We're very proud to be a part of this inaugural Carifta Gymnastics Championship,” she noted.

  “We feel like investing in the sport locally is great, but when you bring in other countries within the region, you have an opportunity now to have real development. We are excited about what can come out of investing in grassroots events like this, and so we hope to see in the not too distant future Jamaica and other Caribbean countries participating even more consistently at the Olympics in gymnastics,” Muschett ended.

  NB: The Carifta Gymnastics Championships can be seen live on SportsMax and the SportsMax App.

• Jamaica Olympic Association endorses Michael Johnson’s Grand Slam Track series debut in Kingston

  The Jamaica Olympic Association (JOA) has thrown its full support behind the highly anticipated Grand Slam Track series, a pioneering track and field competition created by American Olympic icon Michael Johnson. Kingston’s National Stadium will host the inaugural event from April 4-6, 2025, marking a historic occasion as Jamaica kicks off a global series that merges elite competition with cultural celebration in select cities worldwide.

  In endorsing the Grand Slam Track initiative, JOA President Christopher Samuda highlighted the series’ alignment with the evolving nature of sports as both a business and a cultural experience. “The economy of sport is continually diversifying its product offerings,” Samuda said. “This move merits support, for yesterday’s novelty in sport is becoming today’s norm of business innovation in a global enterprise where changing the game has become a pre-requisite of staying in the game and winning the grand slam.”

  The Grand Slam Track series promises substantial financial rewards for competitors, a prospect that appeals to both athletes and sports financiers. JOA Secretary General/CEO Ryan Foster outlined the benefits, emphasizing that Grand Slam Track supports the JOA’s vision for sustainable athletic growth. “The grand slam track will not only pay dividends for aspirations invested initially in sweat equity and maturing in bonus payments,” Foster said, “which is a qualitative strategy of the JOA, but, more importantly, the meets will provide self-actualising opportunities for athletes and value for money for fans.”

  Beyond the prize money, the JOA sees Grand Slam Track as a platform for continuous, high-level competition, helping athletes prepare for the Olympics by fostering ongoing development through regular, intense matchups. “On the other side of the minted coin of sport, top-ranking athletes will be able to constantly measure performance against character as they compete continually against each other,” Foster explained, adding that it is “in conditioning themselves for the premier event, the Olympic Games,” that athletes will truly benefit from the series.

  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.”

  The JOA’s backing of Grand Slam Track aligns with its commitment to sports innovation, a mission that led the association to launch the “Olympic Destiny” series in 2021. This JOA initiative was designed to prepare Jamaican athletes for the Tokyo Olympics amid the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Olympic Destiny series offered incentives for athletes and fostered historic performances, including Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce’s national record-setting 10.63s sprint in the 100m. That experience, Samuda pointed out, was “a first in the history of the sport,” underscoring the JOA’s commitment to driving progress and championing local talent on a global stage.

  With the JOA’s endorsement, Michael Johnson’s Grand Slam Track is poised to deliver a unique blend of high-stakes competition and cultural celebration, solidifying Jamaica’s position as a host for world-class athletic events and creating a new chapter in track and field’s evolution.