Jamaica's 800m national record holder, Navasky Anderson, has officially joined the UA Mission Run Baltimore team, adding his exceptional talent to a dynamic middle-distance program. The announcement was made by the club on social media, welcoming Anderson to what they described as the “#Baltimore800m sqUAd” and noting that “#charmcity just got a little faster.”
Anderson’s move to the Under Armour-backed professional group marks a new chapter in his career, which has seen a steady rise on the international stage. In his Instagram post, Anderson reflected on the significance of the transition, saying, “The process already started; let’s leave the journey in God’s hands.”
The 24-year-old has established himself as one of Jamaica’s premier middle-distance runners, rewriting the history books for his country in the 800m. Anderson first etched his name in Jamaican athletics lore at the 2022 NCAA Outdoor Championships, where he clocked 1:45.02 to claim silver and set a new national record. That year, he also represented Jamaica at the World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Oregon, and made his first senior final at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, where he finished fifth.
Anderson continued to raise the bar for Jamaican middle-distance running in 2023. At the Music City Challenge in Nashville, Tennessee, he broke the Jamaican indoor 800m record with a time of 1:46.58. Later that year, he set a new outdoor national record of 1:44.70 on July 30. He capped the season with a bronze medal at the Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile.
This year, Anderson competed at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. While the Olympic Games provided invaluable experience, his move to the UA Mission Run Baltimore club signals a renewed focus on achieving even greater heights in his career.
The Baltimore-based club is renowned for fostering middle-distance talent, and Anderson’s presence will undoubtedly elevate their profile. For Jamaican athletics, his move represents another step in the nation’s ongoing pursuit of excellence across a wide range of disciplines.
Leighton Levy is a journalist with 28 years’ experience covering crime, entertainment, and sports. He joined the staff at SportsMax.TV as a content editor two years ago and is enjoying the experience of developing sports content and new ideas. At SportsMax.tv he is pursuing his true passion - sports.
Jamaica through to last eight in both men’s and women’s tournaments at FIBA 3x3 AmeriCup in Puerto Rico
Jamaica are through to both the men’s and women’s quarterfinal round at the 2024 FIBA 3x3 AmeriCup after similar results in Friday’s preliminary round in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
After advancing through Thursday’s qualifiers, Jamaica’s men took on Canada and Argentina in pool play on Friday.
They first suffered a narrow 14-19 loss to the Canadiens before returning a little over two hours later and rebounding with a 21-14 win over Argentina to advance ahead of the South Americans who also lost to Canada.
Jabulani Newby had nine points and seven rebounds against Argentina.
They will have a tough task in their quarterfinal on Sunday when they take on the USA at 2:20pm Jamaica time.
On the women’s side, the Jamaicans, who didn’t have to play in qualifying, opened their day with a 14-9 win over Mexico before losing out 15-20 to Canada in their second game, advancing to the final eight in second in Pool B.
Tiffany Reynolds was excellent against Canada despite the loss with nine points and 11 rebounds.
They will tackle hosts Puerto Rico in the last eight on Sunday at 1:30pm Jamaica time.
JFF president Ricketts highlights sustained youth development, potential partnership with Argentina in ambitious goals for 2025
As the year draws to a close, Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) President Michael Ricketts is brimming with pride over the achievements of Jamaican football in 2024 while setting ambitious goals for 2025.
In a comprehensive reflection, Ricketts highlighted the strides made across all levels of the sport and detailed plans to build on this momentum.
For Ricketts, the past year has been one of historic firsts and standout performances. The senior men’s team claimed their first medal in the Concacaf Nations League since 2017, with a third-place finish, which saw them being the first Caribbean team to achieve such a feat. They also scored their first-ever goal in Copa America, a significant milestone in their three-time participation in the prestigious tournament.
“It’s no secret how challenging it is to compete at the highest levels in regional and global football. The fact that we’ve broken new ground in these tournaments speaks volumes about our progress,” Ricketts said during a virtual press conference on Friday.
Additionally, Ricketts underscored the contributions of locally-based talent, with 14 players from the Jamaica Premier League (JPL) making their senior national team debuts in 2024. This achievement, he noted, reflects the federation’s commitment to nurturing homegrown players and showcasing their skills on the global stage.
The year also saw significant accomplishments for Jamaica’s youth and women’s teams as the Under-14 boys secured a resounding victory in the CFU tournament, where they scored seven goals in 40 minutes to clinch the title. Meanwhile, the Reggae Girlz wrapped up their year with a dominant two-match friendly series against South Africa, performances that Ricketts believes underscore their status as a formidable force in women’s football.
He also lauded the Caribbean Cup and CFU Shield accomplishments of JPL clubs Cavalier FC and Arnett Gardens, respectively.
“So I mean, we locally seem to take these things lightly, but people around the region really don't, so I must say congratulations. I must recognise the achievements of Ms. Khadija ‘Bunny’ Shaw, who was 15th in the Women's Ballon d'Or, and this speaks volume, especially when you think about the fact that ‘Bunny’ is a homegrown talent,” Ricketts noted.
Looking ahead, Ricketts outlined an ambitious calendar for 2025, starting with preparations for critical tournaments at every level. The Under-17 boys will head to Mexico in January to fine-tune their skills ahead of World Cup qualifiers in Guatemala in February. Similarly, the Under-17 and Under-20 Reggae Girlz will compete in qualifiers early in the year.
The senior men’s team will resume their World Cup qualifying campaign in June, facing the British Virgin Islands (BVI) and Guatemala, and they will also engage in the Concacaf Gold Cup preliminaries against St Vincent and the Grenadines in March.
Additionally, Ricketts revealed that the JFF is in discussions with Trinidad and Tobago to organize a two- or three-match series in February with an aim to maintain competitive momentum.
Despite the successes, Ricketts acknowledged areas for improvement, including exposing more young players to high-level competition. He also emphasized the importance of succession planning, particularly in transitioning talent from youth to senior levels.
In fact, he pointed out that JFF’s Technical Development Scheme (TDS) and regional scouting initiatives will play a pivotal role in identifying and nurturing elite players across age groups.
“We're not infallible, so we would have fallen short in some areas. I mean, I think we have not been able to expose enough of our young players, and that would be one of our weaknesses to expose our young talents. But I think we are on track to have this issue corrected,” Ricketts shared.
“We are focused on ensuring that our young players have clear pathways to progress through the ranks. Having now established this coaching empowerment programme, we are online to, of course, achieve a better development programme and, of course, high-quality senior players. This approach will help us remain competitive on both the regional and global stages,” he added.
The President explained that the JFF is also prioritizing partnerships with international clubs and organizations to enhance local football, as he hinted at the possibility of a bilateral programme with Argentina, which will facilitate coach exchanges and knowledge-sharing.
“We have had discussions with the Argentine ambassador here in Jamaica, and we have established a partnership that will be formally announced. So yes, we are working on that, and this is just a start.
“I think it's very important, and in fact, part of the early discussions would be a kind of programme where coaches would go to countries overseas visiting top-notch clubs, and they would probably come here to see what we do have to offer,” he noted.
That said, Ricketts is optimistic about the future, in which he envisions a vibrant footballing ecosystem where homegrown talent thrives alongside the best in the world.
“We will be working on that assiduously and with the highest level of urgency to ensure that the elite local players get their opportunity to showcase their talent at the national level. We want to ensure that each of our Reggae Girlz also gets the opportunity to showcase their talent. So this is something that we are aware of and something that we are giving some serious attention,” Ricketts ended.
Olympian Juliet Campbell donates Puma spikes to aid underserved Jamaican schools
Three-time Jamaican Olympian and Puma’s Marketing Manager for Running, Juliet Campbell, demonstrated her commitment to supporting grassroots athletics in Jamaica by donating approximately 80 pairs of competition spikes to six schools at the Jamaica Athletic Administrative Association (JAAA) headquarters in Kingston on Friday.
The beneficiaries included Excelsior High, York Castle High, Steer Town Academy, Harbour View Primary, Garvey Maceo High, and Marcus Garvey High School. These schools, not currently sponsored by Puma, often face challenges in acquiring proper athletic equipment.
“Outside of Puma’s sponsorship of some Jamaican schools, there are still a number of schools that are struggling for equipment,” Campbell explained. “These are not sponsored schools, but I am just helping.”
The donation is a significant boost for schools like York Castle and Steer Town, where resources are limited. Marvin Johnson, who coaches at both institutions, expressed gratitude for the donation, which included 13 pairs of spikes for his athletes.
Coach Johnson collecting competition spikes from Juliet Campbell on Friday.
“At York Castle, we have a very large squad of about 33 athletes, and the principal has been doing his best to support the program financially,” Johnson said. “But when it comes to footwear, it’s very difficult to get. These spikes will cover about 50 per cent of our athletes and are a big boost as we prepare for Champs (ISSA Boys and Girls Championships).”
Johnson anticipates a 60-40 split in favour of York Castle due to its larger team size and higher number of potential qualifiers for Champs.
Garvey Maceo’s coach, Tatiana Smith, echoed similar sentiments. The school received about a dozen pairs of spikes, including specialized ones for jumping events. She highlighted the impact of the donation on her program, which operates in a school where track and field is not a dominant sport.
“This will help us a whole lot because over the years we have had to seek outside sponsors for spikes, as most of our students can’t afford them,” Smith said. “We won’t have students sharing spikes anymore. With what we have now, each athlete will have a pair of spikes for themselves.”
By providing access to quality equipment, Campbell’s donation not only alleviates financial strain on schools but also helps athletes focus on their training and development as they prepare for major competitions. For these schools, the donation represents more than just new gear—it’s a step towards fostering talent, building confidence, and inspiring future generations of Jamaican athletes.
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