Jamaica Olympic Association (JOA) president Christopher Samuda welcomes discussions to possibly include cricket in the Olympic Games for a second time in its history, as he believes it will provide the much-need shot in the arm required to move the sport forward, financially and otherwise, from a Jamaica and Caribbean perspective.

With the executive board of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) set to deliberate new sports to be welcomed into the fold, cricket is said to be among those being strongly considered for the 2028 Los Angeles Games.

According to reports, men’s and women’s Twenty20 cricket is heavily favoured to make the cut to become an Olympic sport for just the second time since the 1900 Paris Games, as IOC president Thomas Bach is reportedly a big fan of bringing the sport on board, given its mass appeal in countries such as India, Bangladesh and Pakistan.

Those three nations are by no means world-beaters in other Olympic sports, but if cricket was included for 2028, the tournament would no doubt command the attention of sports enthusiasts, especially with England, Australia and New Zealand, expected to be involved.

However, it is understood that organisers would only allow cricket at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles under the condition that flag football –a non-contact version of American football –would also be added to the Games.

Still, Samuda believes cricket being considered is a win, in and of itself for the sport, and if it does in fact get included in the 2028 multi-sport showpiece, the move could have a far-reaching impact on Jamaica and the wider Caribbean, especially at a time when there are overwhelming concerns about the failure of West Indies cricket.

“The JOA welcomes discussions on the inclusion of cricket on the agenda for the LA 2028 Olympic Games as an expression, not only of inclusivity, but also of global sport maturing in response to diversity and imperative of engaging a fraternity which has, as others, become highly commercial,” Samuda said.

“A sporting, but also, a cultural institution in the lives of West Indians, a name historically inherited with colonialism which geopolitical historians now show a preference for the Caribbean.

“Cricket’s inclusion will give the sport in Jamaica and the Caribbean a well needed fillip and an opportunity for capital to commercialize the sport for its own sustainability without compromising Olympic values, for at the JOA, we celebrate character and merit as pre-requisite to rewarding monetarily,” he told Sportsmax.tv.

The number of sports contested at the Olympic Games has rapid increased in recent times.

With the addition of golf, some 38 sports were played at the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro, but that number jumped to 46 at the Tokyo Games, as 3x3 basketball, BMX, karate, rugby sevens, baseball, softball, skateboarding, surfing and speed climbing were all added.

The number will drop to 45 for next year’s Paris Games with the culling of baseball/softball and karate, while breakdancing has been included for the first time.

Twenty20 cricket already enjoyed somewhat of a test run at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham with an eight-team women’s tournament.

Barbados was a part of that historic tournament which saw Australia, India, and New Zealand, winning the medals.

On that note, Samuda weighed in on the views of whether Jamaica and other Caribbean islands would compete individually or collectively under the West Indies umbrella.

“The debate as to whether the Caribbean should compete as individual countries, as obtained in the Olympic movement, or collectively as the West Indies, should consider that independence encourages the development of talent and accentuates a national identity and pride which are priceless qualities of nationhood,” Samuda shared.

“As small as we are in the Caribbean with bigger countries having an unfair numerical advantage, our instincts at surviving and our ability to do so admirably, has been demonstrated in other sport such as football and track and field,” he added.

In any case, Samuda pointed out that once the business model of the sport is properly aligned with the prospects, then the potential exists for positive spinoffs, financial and otherwise, from a qualifying tournament alone.

“Cricket still has the ability of mass appeal and its inclusion in the Olympic Games will serve to deepen its capital, and the playing of qualifying tournaments, if the sport’s business model is right, will heighten interest across generations and gender and attract investment,” he reasoned.

“Sport is a qualitative investment in the human capital and there are many social and cultural values that can be learnt at the crease over and above the boundaries of sport,” the JOA president noted.

In a historic and heartwarming gesture, the Jamaica Olympic Association (JOA) announced today, Monday, August 28, that they will be rewarding the stellar achievements of Jamaica's netball players with JMD$1 million each (about USD$6000) for their triumphant performance at the Netball World Cup, where they clinched the bronze medal.

The JOA's rewarding initiative encompasses a comprehensive approach, aiming to not only honor the team's success but also contribute to their future financial stability. Each player from the bronze medal-winning team will receive JMD$1 million from a joint reward from Supreme Ventures Limited and Mayberry Investments.

The JMD$13 million in rewards will go towards funding investment accounts at Mayberry Investments for each medallist. The funds will be under management at Mayberry Investments for a period of three years or until the athlete's retirement from netball, whichever comes earlier.

The announcement, made at the JOA headquarters on Cunningham Avenue in Kingston on Monday, August 28, marks a momentous occasion as the JOA has never before rewarded a team and their coach for their exceptional performances. Following the Tokyo Olympics, the JOA had rewarded the track and field athletes a total of JMD$45 million.

This unprecedented decision is a testament to the remarkable journey and victories of the Jamaican netball team. Over the years, they have showcased their prowess, securing victories like the CAC gold, which ultimately culminated in their monumental success at the Netball World Cup.

Ryan Foster, General Secretary of the JOA, expressed the significance of this moment and the association's pride in the team's accomplishments:

"Today, the Jamaica Olympic Association celebrates and acknowledges your achievements on the court but we also want to reward them. We have watched with pride over the years of the success and progress made by our Sunshine Girls and are elated that we have been a part of that journey along with our partners SVL and Mayberry."

Foster recounted the dedication of the team and the vital role that the JOA, along with its partners, played in supporting the sport's resurgence after the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic:

"I remember when President (Tricia) Robinson came to us seeking ways to restart the sport after COVID and the most important goal was to get the Elite League and the National League going, and the JOA along with SVL and Marathon have invested over JMD$9 million in the restart of the Netball leagues."

Highlighting the team's historic accomplishments, Mr. Foster emphasized that the bronze medal at the World Cup was the perfect culmination of their remarkable journey:

"Following upon the Commonwealth Games, Caribbean Games, and CAC, all historic performances, it was only fitting that the icing on the cake was the World Cup. The JOA and our partners salutes you and your contribution to Jamaican pride, sports prowess, and generally being great ambassadors of not only yourselves but also of the JOA and our partners."

Acknowledging the pivotal role of Coach Connie Francis, Mr. Foster announced a reward of JMD$2 million for her extraordinary leadership.

"For the signal work done by Coach Connie Francis, the JOA will reward the coach extraordinaire with an amount of $2 million," Foster said.

Recognizing the strength of their netball family, the JOA extended a helping hand to Latanya, contributing $1M towards her recovery. Wilson recently lost her home and all her personal belongings including her trophies and medals when arsonists set her home on fire.

"It is in times of distress and crisis that we see the heart of our family, and Latanya, you are family. With that said, the JOA will contribute JMD$1 million towards your road to recovery."

As the JOA, SVL, and Mayberry unite to celebrate the achievements of the Sunshine Girls, Foster assured that the journey is far from over, with the promise of continuous collaboration and support.

"Life is what you make it. Journeys are made to be explored and memories last a lifetime. Your memorable accomplishments have warmed our hearts, and similarly, when you were to restart the sport, we will continue the journey hand in hand, a marriage that won’t be broken."

Foster extended gratitude to SVL and Mayberry for their partnership and dedication to the athletes' success, foreshadowing further exciting announcements as the journey towards the Olympic year continues.

The Jamaica Olympic Association has lavished praise on the country’s netball team that won the bronze medal at the just-concluded Netball World Cup in South Africa. After losing their semi-final 57-54 to eventual champions on Saturday, the Sunshine Girls rebounded on Sunday to defeat prior champions New Zealand 52-45 to secure the bronze medal, their first at the championships in 16 years.

According to the JOA, the Sunshine Girls quest for gold at the Cape Town International Convention Centre in South Africa, which had been the home of the Netball World Cup for the couple of weeks,  ended with a well-deserved bronze. But their heroic journey remains imprinted in the sporting landscape and hearts of many and foremost the apex local body.

“Gold was not the medal but golden was the achievement, golden is the future of the sport and golden will be the legacy,” said Secretary General and Chief Executive Officer, Ryan Foster.

“The JOA is reveling in the sunshine as we celebrate the commitment, courage, purpose and professionalism of our girls who continue steadfastly to keep their appointment with destiny.”

The hour will come when the world will acknowledge the Sunshine Girls as its champion in netball and the hope is “that the cup will, in the near future, come home to Jamrock where it will become the cornerstone of the ambitions of young girls in the sport and the foundation of Jamaica’s dominance on the global stage,” Secretary General Foster further commented.

The JOA is of the view that netball has earned a right locally to be a flagship sport and with the accomplishment in Cape Town and the historic gold medal in the recent inaugural tournament at the Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Games in San Salvador, it has nothing more to prove.

“Netball’s credentials are well established and its pedigree as a leading sport is not up for debate for as we say ‘argument done,” JOA President Christopher Samuda stated.

“The Tricia Robinson-led netball administration and national coach, Connie Francis, can be justly proud of the sport’s achievements which continue to gain the applause of a global audience. The future continues to be bright and secure in safe hands.”

 The Jamaica Olympic Association (JOA) has showered praise of Jamaica’s Senior Women Football team that historically qualified for the round of 16 at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup in South Africa on Wednesday.

After holding France, ranked in the top five in the world, to a 0-0 in their opening match and defeating Panama 1-0, Jamaica only needed a draw from the much-vaunted, top-10 ranked Brazil on Wednesday to secure a place in the knock-out round of the global tournament. Prior to Wednesday, no Caribbean team has ever managed to advance from the group stage of the competition.

However, after another steely, disciplined performance in which they held the South American giant to a 0-0 draw, the Reggae Girls achieved another historic milestone.

The JOA’s executive was impressed with the monumental achievement.

“Feats are there to be achieved and the Reggae Girlz continue to demonstrate a capacity and an ability to do so by claiming a space in the round of sixteen at FIFA’s Women’s World Cup,” the JOA said in a statement following the match that saw Jamaica finish as the runner-up to France in Group F.

JOA President Christopher Samuda was effusive in his praise stating, “History is indelibly at their feet, the present secured in the palm of their hands and the future in the vision of young girls who are dreaming the possible.

“The Reggae Girlz are authoring a script in football which is inspiring a nation to aspire where it was thought dreams only resided. The reality is that we can and they have done it. The Jamaica Olympic Association salutes them and looks forward to sharing the Olympic dream that will become a reality in Paris 2024.”

JOA Secretary General Ryan Foster was equally emphatic in his characterization of the performance that had an entire nation beaming with pride.

“The horizon is now clearly in sight and well within the reach of the Reggae Girlz and the Jamaica Olympic Association stands with watchful eyes in the hope that history again will be created and a nation’s pride will overflow for this is a moment that we hope will become a life-long story,” Foster declared.

Brazil, the pride of world football, was the casualty and sport historians will record that it was at the instance of Jamaica. This historic fact has not escaped President Samuda. “Brazil fell at the feet of the Reggae Girlz who now are the giants of history and visionaries of the future,” the JOA president beamed.

 Sport development requires co-operation and synergistic partnerships and the collaboration between the Jamaica Olympic Association (JOA) and the Jamaica Lacrosse Association (JLA) is poof positive of this.

A strong partnership between the local governing Olympic body and its member in a joint bid to host the Pan American Lacrosse Association‘s Sixes Tournament, resulted in success with Jamaica set to host in November what both sporting bodies have labelled “A Lacrosse Explosion in Jamrock.”

President of the Jamaica Lacrosse Association, Calbert Hutchinson, in reflecting on the partnership quoted Robert Louis Stephenson saying, “Keep your eyes open to your mercies. The man who forgets to be thankful has fallen asleep in life.”

He went on to relate it to the JLA’s experience with the JOA saying “the JLA is staying awake by giving thanks to those who have and continue to provide support and guidance.”

JOA President, Christopher Samuda, in lauding the JLA  in converting the sport locally into a household name and for its partnership with the JOA, said “The vision of the JLA has led to a pioneering blueprint in sport development as both bodies join forces in hosting an international event that will be financially viable for our member while giving the sport a well earned fillip and profile locally and globally.”

Sport will remain or only become sustainable if its business and commercial value are understood and synergies created that fuel real development.

JOA Secretary General and CEO,  Ryan Foster, in underscoring the value of this partnership remarked that “this is the first business of sport framework of its kind in the local Olympic movement where the JOA and the JLA are shareholders engaging in a  commercial space  with a mutual commitment to monetize the sport while investing solidly in its human stock so as to  secure for the JLA capital for its players, dividends  for the association’s coffers and tangible brand benefits.”

The Sixes tournament later this year promises to  be a “November to remember” event and as a preface to it there were fireworks  recently in San Diego at the World Championships  where the Lacrosse Jamrock warriors created an explosion by defeating fancied European and Oceana teams to gain a historic berth in the quarter finals, the only Caribbean, Central and South American team to cement that position on the world stage.

“Lacrosse continues to explode with energy and dynamism and the JOA is pleased to be with them as history making feats are ignited” Samuda said.

The sport locally in the last four years has made tremendous strides under the Hutchinson led administration and internationally it has been gaining currency. With such progress, the advocacy of the JOA and JLA for it to become an Olympic sport is now an action item on their joint agenda.

Jamaica Olympic Association President Christopher Samuda released a statement on Tuesday congratulating five-time World 100m Champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce on being named the Laureus Sportswoman of the Year on Monday.

Fraser-Pryce won the award on her sixth attempt in a ceremony in Paris.

“I salute Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce on attaining this global feat – Laureus Sportswoman of the Year,” Samuda said to begin the statement.

The statement continues: “An indisputable sporting asset of Jamaica and the world, she has conquered and continues to conquer horizons with character, graciousness, and abiding humility.

Her indomitable spikes continue to imprint on the track of life a quality that is priceless and will be enduring. Her record-breaking speed continues to represent not only the prowess of athletics but, more importantly, the nobility of the sport.

A fitting honour for “mommy rocket,” she has rocketed into the apogee of the constellation where she continues to build an admirable legacy which historians will inscribe with reverence and respect.”

Jamaican judokas delivered outstanding performances in the Dominican Republic on Thursday, to qualify for the upcoming 2023 Central America and Caribbean (CAC) Games.

Olympian Ashley McKenzie won all four of his fights the 60kg category, defeating Moises Rosado of Mexico in the final.

“I hope that winning here today sets the team in the right direction,” he said.

“I am pleased as we won our medals as a team. I am also happy with the gold as it’s my first competition back for a long time and just wanted to show what I was capable of.”

Meanwhile, Tom Davis, the 2019 Commonwealth Judo Championship gold medallist fighting in the 100kg class, defeated Alexis Esquivel of Mexico before narrowly losing to Antonio Rodriguez of Venezuela in the semi-final.

He would rebound to defeat Alexander Strachan of Bahamas to claim the bronze medal.

In the plus 100kg category, Steven Moore defeated Juan Landazuri of Colombia and then overcame Marvin Salazar of Nicaragua in the semi-final. Facing current world champion Andy Granda of Cuba in the final, Moore came up short but walked away with the silver medal.

Max Stewart, a new member of the team lost in extra time tot 2018 world silver medallist Ivan Silva of Cuba leaving him to settle for repechage. He grabbed the opportunity with both hands, overpowering Derick Burgos of the Dominican Republic before going on to defeat Carlos Perez of Venezuela to win the bronze medal.

“It was great to be back on the mat again after a long-term injury. Regardless of the result, it was an amazing feeling having the team behind me every step of the way and I’m excited for my future as a Jamaican judoka,” he said afterwards.

Tokyo 2020 Olympian Ebony Drysdale-Daley also showcased her talent in the 70kg category.

She defeated Karen Murillo of Colombia before facing Creymarlin Valdez of the Dominican Republic in the quarter-final. The Jamaican judoka stunned her Dominican opponent with a left sided koshi-guruma technique and proceeded to the semis where she was compressed by Idelannis Gomez of Cuba.

She then fought Luisa Bonilla of Colombia for the bronze medal but lost and finished fifth overall.

Team leader Luke Preston expressed his pride at how well the team performed.

“I am very proud of the team’s performance,” he said. “Every single player fought for a medal and gave it their all. What impressed me just as much as the wins on the mat was the team spirit. Jamaican judo can be very proud, and the future is bright.”

Jamaica Olympic Association President (JOA), Christopher Samuda was also impressed.

“The JOA’s continued investment in our members is paying dividends. Judo, as is the case with others, is now flexing confidently its muscle and punching admirably above its weight,” he said of the performance of the athletes, who’s association became a member of the JOA in 2019.

“We, the JOA, are in the real business of creating opportunities, actualizing talent and building regional and global stages on which aspirations can be realized.”

JOA Secretary General/CEO, Ryan Foster hailed the speed at which the sport of judo had established itself within the Jamaican sports landscape.

“Since the 2020 Tokyo Games, the sport of judo has made tremendous strides under the leadership of the association’s president and general secretary, Dwayne Barrett and Szandra Szogedi, respectively, and the partnership between the Jamaica Olympic Association (JOA) and the Jamaica Judo Association (JJA), continues to seize history-making opportunities in the sport,” he said.

“The five judokas who went to the Dominican Republic to qualify for the 2023 El Salvador CAC Games reaped success in stocking the association’s cabinet with medals which looks set to be decorated with more when the games in El Salvador get on the way on June 23.”

President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Thomas Bach, will, for the first time, set foot on the soil of Jamaica as he pays an official and historic visit to the island.

Mr Bach is set to arrive in Jamaica late Friday.

During his brief visit, the world governing Olympic body’s head will undertake a hectic schedule and President of the Jamaica Olympic Association, (JOA), Christopher Samuda, expects a very successful visit.

 “President Bach’s engagement will serve to deepen and embolden our continuing commitment to the values of Olympism as a way of life in sport while providing a welcomed opportunity for an interface with members of the local Olympic family,” said Samuda.

In July 2018, a petal from the flame of the cauldron of the 2012 London Olympic Games was established at the Sir Donald Sangster International Airport, in Montego Bay by the current JOA administration “as a landmark embodying the ideals of a global sport movement, giving earnest hope to the burning aspirations of Jamaica’s sportsmen and women in their pursuit of excellence and kindling the ambitious light of our youth to emulate” JOA Secretary General and CEO, Ryan Foster, said.

At the heart of the President Bach’s visit will undoubtedly be fraternal unity as the top brass of the JOA and IOC executives meet on common ground in advancing the Olympic agenda.

“A meeting of the minds in sport, a mutuality of purpose and will and commonality of values will characterize discussions and anchor outcomes” President Samuda stated.

President Bach, a Montreal 1976 Olympic Games gold medalist in the discipline of foil in fencing and a lawyer by profession, will depart the island with his delegation on March 5 on the way to the Dominican Republic after “what we have every confidence will be a milestone in Jamaica’s Olympic experience” Secretary General Foster concluded.

As the national women's softball team prepares to leave the island shortly, they do so confident in the backing they have received from the Jamaica Olympic Association (JOA).

The team leaves for the US Virgin Islands where they will participate in a qualifying tournament for the Pan-American Games as a precursor to an Olympic bid.

The national association is funding the aspirations of softball on a journey which, hopefully, will be historic.

“History making and their love for country compel our support for softball and I have watched them in training exemplifying commitment and going beyond the challenges of not having the luxury of resources in the sport to creating a wealth of talent,” said JOA President Christopher Samuda.

The national team has been in training at their home ground at Up Park Camp and for JOA Secretary General/CEO,  Ryan Foster, “the JOA is proud of and committed to the softball artillery as part of our armoury of building capacity in several sports in giving them a fighting chance in the international arena of combat. This investment is bankable.”

Softball Jamaica’s President, Marvalyn Campbell, thanked the nation’s governing sport body “for believing in softball and responding every time to the call which will not be forgotten and for which the team is very grateful.”

The JOA Executives also lauded the directors of Softball Jamaica for growing the support and providing our sportsmen and women opportunities for self-actualisation and national representation.  

JOA President, Christopher Samuda, was in a “business unusual” mode in addressing the audience at the Tornadoes Swim Club’s recent 2022 Awards Ceremony held at its new home on the Mona campus of the University of the West Indies (UWI).

President Samuda challenged Jamaica’s aspiring Olympic swimmers to “deep dive into history and there you will find the inspiration of Tornadoes’ Olympians. Deep dive into the present and there you will discover you, the present generations of swimmers, images of yourself, as you aspire to be on the Olympic stage. Deep dive into the future and you will envision what you must become – the standard by which swimmers will be judged, a model athlete and a legacy creator.”

The past year for the club was very successful with Sabrina Lyn, Israel Allen and Rhiana Gayle receiving athlete of the year awards in their respective disciplines at the RJR/Gleaner National Sportsman and Sportswoman of the Year Awards Ceremony, a feat which underscores the club’s prowess.

In exhorting the swimmers, President Samuda charged them “to possess a spirit of commitment, an uncompromising spirit to transform the sport by dint of your own performances and the standards which define those performances and to possess the character of a champion that goes beyond and above the podium on which you will receive that gold medal and the admiration of a national, regional and global sporting fraternity.”

But, like an experienced diver who surfaces with the pearl, President Samuda reminded Jamaica’s aspiring Olympians that “when you deep dive you can’t remain under water. You must rise like a phoenix with the prize held aloft in victory, in triumph. For it is only when you rise that you will have understood and overcome the challenges of the deep and appreciate the horizon of the human spirit and be able to tell your story.”

The narrative of sport is equally a national as it is a community story and this truism was emphasised by JOA’s boss in delivering his address. In encouraging Jamaica’s future, he said: “Outside of the household of the Tornadoes swim club there is a community to which you, swimmers, belong and have a duty to be model citizens. The principles of fair play and mutuality in sport, the value of friendships made in sport and the character of humility in victory and resilience in disappointment experienced in sport are priceless qualities which must never depart from you and your experience in your community.”

In the sport’s recent Olympic history, Alia Atkinson, has been carrying the national flag with distinction and President Samuda, in expressing optimism for the future, comments that “there is a reservoir of talent that can provide an Olympic stream but we must, in a structured and almost scientific way, unlock the talent pipeline when they are young in opening the floodgates when they become mature.”

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.

Seasoned sports administrator Keith Joseph of the St Vincent and the Grenadines is the new president of the Caribbean Association of National Olympic Committees (CANOC). Joseph won comfortably over his Jamaican challenger Christopher Samuda by a count of 17-9, successfully replacing former president Brian Lewis.

Joseph earned the majority of votes on the second and final day of the XX CANOC General Assembly, attended by 26 of the 30 member National Olympic Committees (NOC's) and Commonwealth Games Federations (CFG's) in Trinidad and Tobago from November 4-5.

Joseph campaigned on a record of achievement of the last CANOC executive, in which he served as the secretary general. The highlight of the last term was the successful staging of the 2022 Caribbean Games in Guadeloupe, which returned to the sports calendar after a 13-year hiatus.

Meanwhile, Lewis himself got the nod from the membership to serve as the secretary general by a vote of 14-12 over Antigua and Barbuda’s Cliff Williams. The Virgin Islands’ John Abramson conceded the post of first vice president to the Cayman Islands’ Carson Ebanks by a vote of 16-10 while Ytannia Wiggins of Barbados (18) and Guadeloupe’s Alain Soreze (19) retained positions as executive member.

Edith Cox was returned unopposed as treasurer.

The Joesph-led administration will appoint a second vice-president as the post was not filled via nominations.

Jamaica’s Christopher Samuda and St Vincent and the Grenadines’ Keith Joseph are the two candidates for the presidency of the Caribbean Association of National Olympic Committees (CANOC) when the organization meets for its 20^th General Assembly November 4-5 at the Hyatt Hotel in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago.

The elections will serve to select the members of the CANOC Executive Committee for the quadrennial period, 2022-2026 following Day 1 of the ninth CANOC workshop.

Samuda, who is president of the Jamaica Olympic Association (JOA) or Joseph, the General Secretary of the St Vincent and the Grenadines Olympic Committee, will replace the incumbent Brian Lewis of Trinidad and Tobago who will be going up against Antigua and Barbuda’s Cliff Williams for the position of CANOC Secretary General.

Meantime, vying for the post of vice-president are John Abramson of the US Virgin Islands and Carson Ebanks of the Cayman Islands.

Edith Cox of the Turks and Caicos is the only candidate for the post of treasurer while Ytannia Wiggins of Barbados, Alain Soreze of Guadeloupe, Bruce Farara of Montserrat and Alan Sharpe of Belize are in the running for executive members.

The nominations commission chaired by Sandra Osborne, SCM, KC, will supervise and manage the voting process to deliver secure results for all Executive Committee elections as well as decisions on selection of the host for the second edition of the Caribbean Games.

The Executive Report on CANOC’s stewardship over the past four years, the report on the Inaugural Caribbean Game and bid presentations for host of the 2025 Caribbean Games, will be the main features on Day 2.

As part of the International Olympic Committee's (IOC) commitment to the United Nations Sport for Climate Action (S4CA) Framework and the support to the Olympic Movement to protect our planet, CANOC will be attempting to minimize the use of paper at the workshop and general assembly, offering instead, as many documents as possible in digital format.

It was certainly a Wolmer's reunion when Olympian Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce came to the JOA's Commonwealth Manor at the very "vibes" Edgbaston Hotel and Conference Centre in Birmingham where the Commonwealth Games is taking place. 

JOA President, Christopher Samuda, and JOA Secretary General/CEO, Ryan Foster, who both hail from the prominent Marescaux Road educational institution, Wolmer's Boys' School, welcomed their "sistren' Shelly-Ann, who attended Wolmer's Girls' School, and was on a doctor's visit to Birmingham. 

The Commonwealth Manor in Birmingham is the second edition of the current administration of the JOA, the first having been held at the snazzy and popular Helm Bar in the Gold Coast, Australia, where the 2018 Games took place. 

Shelly-Ann said "yes this is Wolmer's" in an evident show of scholastic camaraderie as she identified with the governors of JOA. 

Samuda, in embracing the collegiate and national spirit, stated: "We are Wolmerians, the maroon and gold champions, and black, green and gold patriots" while Foster, inspired by the enviable history of his alma mater, was moved to say "changemakers and innovators we are and servant leaders we will always be"

The Jamaica Olympic Association (JOA) will, next month, launch its Olympic Coaches' Scholarships as the local governing body for Olympic sports continues its drive in making more professional the delivery of sports, especially the international games which fall under its remit.

Those games include the Summer and Winter Senior and Youth Olympic Games, the Pan American Games, the Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Games, the Commonwealth Games and beach games staged by regional and world governing bodies.

Enabling and empowering stakeholders remains the primary focus of the JOA which in 2019 created history when it inaugurated its own athletes' scholarships valued at over $JMD 6,000,000.00 to match scholarships, under the aegis of the Olympic Solidarity Programme of the International Olympic Committee (IOC),  are granted to athletes selected by the JOA.

"We've always been a co-partner with our coaches who are the custodians of talent and in acknowledging that fact, the JOA is making another solid and scholarly investment in our human and technical capital in sport," JOA President Christopher Samuda said.

Applicants responding to the call will formally submit their credentials in a pre-determined format and those who are shortlisted will then go through a very practical interview process governed by an expert panel assembled by the apex body, which will determine the successful beneficiaries.

JOA Secretary General and CEO, Ryan Foster, who will manage the process, outlined the value of the scholarships and more importantly the values which the JOA will be promoting, as the benefactor, through this grant.

"It's more than the $2,000,000.00 dollars that each recipient will receive to assist them in educational and career pursuits and to defray expenses incurred in relation to the preparation of their athletes and certain personal expenses, for it will be an experience in the lessons of Olympism in which they will learn  the value of self-management and mastery, goal setting and achievement and ethics and business of sport," Foster explained.

A welcomed opportunity for Jamaica's coaches, the continued grant of the scholarships by the JOA will fill a void locally and "give our coaches a new lease on their sporting lives and signal to them that the JOA is on the frontline with them and their athletes in creating success" Foster further stated.

This initiative comes on the heels of the Olympic Coaches Reward which the JOA initiated at the Tokyo Olympic Games which saw the governing body rewarding coaches of successful medalists to the tune of JMD$5,000,000.00.

Sport development calls for structured strategic management of human resources and a viable infrastructure of which coaches are essential.

"Our coaches are foundational, the cornerstone of the sports architecture and therefore the JOA is building capacity and deepening the pool of competencies while giving them assistance in dealing with certain domestic obligations of life," Samuda remarked.

The JOA Olympic Coaches Scholarships will also provide opportunities for coaches selected to collaborate with global colleagues in the transfer of knowledge in master classes.