Track and field enthusiasts worldwide have reason to rejoice as a thrilling new international meet is set to grace Kingston on Saturday, May 11, 2024. The Jamaica Athletics Invitational (JAI) promises to captivate audiences with a dazzling showcase of elite athleticism, alongside an infusion of entertainment to delight sports and music aficionados alike.
Featuring 14 prestigious events, the JAI will draw top-tier athletes from Jamaica, the USA, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Europe to compete on the hallowed grounds of Kingston. With World Athletics designating the event as a Silver Continental Tour, anticipation is running high for a world-class spectacle.
Ludlow Watts, Chairman of the Local Organizing Committee (LOC), expressed his delight at welcoming this event to Jamaica's shores. "Fans will be in for a treat with some of the world's best on show," Watts exclaimed. "Jamaica's dominance in the world is unquestionable, and we are intent on putting on a great show as hosts."
With ambitions to pack the stadium to capacity, Watts and his team are committed to delivering an unforgettable experience for spectators. The event's timing couldn't be more opportune, serving as a crucial warm-up for athletes ahead of the Summer Olympic Games in Paris, scheduled for July. Additionally, the JAI will provide a platform for athletes to showcase their prowess before their respective National Championships, slated for the end of June.
The event lineup boasts a entertaining array of competitions, including staple events such as the 100m, 200m, 400m, 110m hurdles, 400m hurdles, discus throw, high jump, and triple jump for male athletes, and the 100m, 200m, 400m, 100m hurdles, 400m hurdles, and triple jump for female athletes.
The Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association (JAAA) has outlined three primary objectives for the meet: to bring quality competition to the fans, provide a platform for athletes to excel, and promote Jamaica as a premier sports destination on the global stage.
Scheduled to kick off at 7:00 PM, the Jamaica Athletics Invitational promises an electrifying fusion of athletic prowess and entertainment, setting the stage for a memorable evening of sporting excellence in the heart of the Caribbean.
2019 World champion Tajay Gayle leaves MVP track club
2019 World Championship long jump gold medallist Tajay Gayle has left the MVP track and field club.
No reason has been given as to why the 2019 RJRGleaner National Sportsman of the year left the club based at the University of Technology in Kingston.
However, the 28-year-old national record holder looks set to start working with St. Elizabeth-based jumps coach Kerry-Lee Ricketts, husband of Shanieka Ricketts.
Ricketts has guided the career of his wife to silver medals at the 2019 and 2022 World Championships as well as silver at this summer's Paris Olympics.
Gayle struggled with knee injuries in the 2021 and 2022 seasons before returning to take bronze at last year’s World Championships in Budapest behind teammate Wayne Pinnock and Greece’s Miltiadis Tentoglu.
Olympic bronze medallist Campbell wants more appreciation for athletes in Jamaica
When an athlete makes history for their country in the world’s biggest sporting spectacle, the Olympic Games, the typical reaction from that country is some sort of acknowledgement or celebration of that historic performance.
Unfortunately, this has yet to be the case for Jamaican shot putter Rajindra Campbell.
Campbell became the first Jamaican man to ever medal in a throwing event at an Olympic Games when he threw 22.15m to win bronze in Paris on August 3.
Four days after Campbell’s performance, Roje Stona also made history, throwing a personal best 70.00m for gold in the discus, becoming Jamaica’s first ever Olympic champion in a throwing event.
In the latest episode of SportsMax TV’s Out D Blocks hosted by Leighton Levy and D Major, the 28-year-old national record holder spoke candidly about the lack of acknowledgment and appreciation back home for these historic achievements.
“We have talked about it. The only problem is, as what Omar McLeod mentioned at trials about the 2016 Olympics, we don’t feel the appreciation from Jamaica,” Campbell said, referencing Omar McLeod’s comments after the Olympic trials where he spoke about not feeling appreciated by Jamaica after his Olympic gold medal performance eight years ago.
“You see the kind of celebration Julien Alfred got? I’m not expecting the same here but Jamaica has such a rich history in track and field, I don’t think the athletes are really appreciated for what they do,” he added.
Campbell, born in Ocho Rios, moved to Joplin, Missouri in 2018 to attend Missouri Southern State University where he attended for three years.
He noted that he’s received more of a celebration for his achievement in Joplin than back home in Jamaica.
“I met with the school President on Wednesday of last week and he explained certain things they have in store for me and there is a big sign on campus that people come in and see. It’s a different celebration taking place here compared to Jamaica,” he said.
As Campbell noted, whenever a Jamaican is in an event, Jamaicans expect them to do well. He wonders whether more appreciation would be given to the athletes when they do well if people understood the sacrifices they make on a daily basis.
“The love for Jamaica will never die. We will always continue to represent but, at the same time, the amount of sacrifice it takes to get to the level we are, something that I’ve found is once there is a Jamaican in an event, you’re expected to do well. How do we get there?”
“When you actually get there it’s like ‘Oh! I expected it or I knew you could do it.’ At the same time, there’s a journey that nobody really understands,” he continued.
He added that there has been no communication to him or Stona regarding any sort of celebration or acknowledgement in Jamaica.
Out D Blocks can be seen live every Thursday on the SportsMax TV YouTube channel.
Magee returns, Holgate included as Reggae Boyz squad named for Nicaragua, Honduras Nations League fixtures
Colorado Springs Switchbacks midfielder Tyreek Magee could be set for his first appearance for the Reggae Boyz since November 2023 as he selected in the squad for the upcoming CONCACAF Nations League fixtures against Nicaragua away and Honduras at home on October 10 and 14, respectively.
The 25-year-old former Jamaica College star has scored three goals in 13 appearances so far this season for the Switchbacks in the USL Championship and is in the Reggae Boyz squad for the first time since the first leg of the 2023 CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinal against Canada which the Reggae Boyz lost 2-1.
He has made 10 appearances for the Reggae Boyz since his debut in 2019.
“I’ve always looked for a number 10, creative player out of the box, somebody who can change games and I asked Merron (Gordon) and he recommended Tyreek (Magee),” Reggae Boyz head coach Steve McLaren said at the squad announcement press conference held at the JFF headquarters in Kingston on Friday.
“I had a little loom at him and I liked him. This boy has ability, skill, can change a game and I said yeah, we’ll give him a chance. That’s what I aim to do,” he added.
Also returning to the Reggae Boyz squad for the upcoming games are New York City FC right back Tayvon Gray, Seattle Sounders defender Jon Bell and Indy Eleven forward Romario Williams.
Former England Under-21 defender Mason Holgate is a newcomer to the squad, though his participation in the games is yet to be determined.
“We’ve been chasing him since before I came in. I think, through the intervention of the President especially, trying to push through players with heritage wanting passports, I think we’re finally very, very close to getting a passport for him. He just needs clearance from FIFA,” McLaren said.
“He might not qualify for the first gams but we think by the second game he will definitely be available so I decided to bring him in and integrate him quickly,” he added.
Aston Villa’s Leon Bailey misses out on a place in the squad after picking up an adductor injury against Bayern Munich in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday.
Spartak Moscow striker Shamar Nicholson has also been left out after telling coach McLaren he wasn’t happy with his fitness.
“After the last camp, we had some discussions. He never felt happy about his form and his condition,” McLaren said regarding Nicholson.
“He expressed that he felt he was way behind in terms of not having a pre-season and he wants to build his fitness up,” he added.
Others from the last camp that were left out included Michael Hector, Jamal Lowe, Adrian Reid Jr and Jonathan Russell.
The full squad is as follows:
Goalkeepers: Andre Blake (Philadelphia Union), Shaquan Davis (Mount Pleasant FA), Jahmali Waite (El Paso Locomotive)
Defenders: Dexter Lembikisa (Yverdon-Sport), Di’Shon Bernard (Sheffield Wednesday), Greg Leigh (Oxford United), Damion Lowe (Al-Okhdood), Jon Bell (Seattle Sounders), Richard King (Cavalier SC), Tayvon Gray (NYCFC), Ethan Pinnock (Brentford), Mason Holgate (West Brom)
Midfielders: Kasey Palmer (Hull City), Karoy Anderson (Charlton Athletic), Bobby Reid (Leicester City), Joel Latibeaudiere (Coventry City), Tyreek Magee (Colorado Springs Switchbacks)
Forwards: Renaldo Cephas (Ankaragucu), Norman Campbell (Randers FC), Michail Antonio (West Ham), Demarai Gray (Al-Ettifaq), Kaheim Dixon (Charlton Athletic), Romario Williams (Indy Eleven)
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