As a token of appreciation for their efforts, members of Jamaica’s team to the recent Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris, France will be compensated through grants from the Government of Jamaica, the Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, the Honourable Olivia Grange, said at a press conference on Monday.

“I have J$45M allocated to provide Appreciation Grants to members of Jamaica’s delegation to the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games,” she said.

Grange said the money was being disbursed directly to 66 athletes, including one Paralympian, and 21 athlete support personnel who formed Jamaica’s delegation to the games.

These grants are in addition to over twenty million dollars disbursed to athletes under the Athletes Assistance Programme as they prepared for the Paris Games, according to Grange.

Junior athletes who competed at the World Athletics U20 Championships in Lima, Peru will also receive gift vouchers totaling J$760,000 from the Ministry.

The Minister was speaking at the press conference to announce the Jamaica leg of the new global athletics league, Grand Slam Track, being led by the former World and Olympic champion and record holder, Michael Johnson.

The redevelopment of the place that has played host to so many of Jamaica’s track and field heroes, the National Stadium, is close to beginning as Jamaica’s Ministry of Sport has accepted a joint proposal from UK based entities Ryder Architecture and CAA Icon to oversee the project.

Jamaica’s Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, the Hon. Olivia Grange made the announcement at a press conference on Tuesday providing updates on the redevelopment project.

“We met with representatives from both Ryder Architecture and CAA Icon and they submitted a joint proposal to us for the renovation and redevelopment of facilities at Independence Park, particularly the National Stadium,” the Minister said on Tuesday.

She continued: “The document, in essence, proposes to, not only address the shortcomings of the existing stadium, but to identify, through qualitative and quantitative assessment, the full potential for this iconic stadium with enhancement as a major tournament venue, training centre and visitor attraction to promote Jamaica and Jamaican sport talent.”

Ryder Architecture and CAA Icon have worked together many times and have been involved in stadiums around the world such as Wembley, the Emirates Stadium, the 02 Arena, Stadio Olimpico and the San Siro.

“My Ministry, through its oversight committee and the executing agency, Independence Park Limited, is of the view that Ryder Architecture and CAA Icon can deliver on the proposal given the entities’ years in the business of building and redeveloping sports facilities worldwide,” Grange said.

The project will see the capacity of the National Stadium increase from 28,500 to 35,000 and will make the country able to bid to host major global events like the World Athletics Championships.

Dispensing with the bleachers, establishing modern facilities for anti-doping, new facilities for media, the establishment of a modern and iconic sports museum, new modern lighting, new seating options, new conference and meeting facilities, premium suites and lounges and new concession facilities among other upgrades were discussed by Grange’s team and the entities.

The next step in the re-development project of the National Stadium is a stadium assessment and feasibility study.

“The study includes a thorough economic and feasibility analysis to identify local and international market demand to ensure that use, and therefore design proposals are aligned to economic demand,” Grange said before stating that these studies will commence in a few weeks and be completed within eight months.

The results of those studies will inform phase two which is the project initiation, concept design and approval stage.

Phase three will involve the detailed design and appointment of a contractor in which a groundbreaking date of August 2025 is being targeted.

Phase four will involve construction and phase five is the operational readiness and handover.

Grange anticipates that the whole project will last about 30 months or two and a half years.

The football field and running track will be unaffected during the construction process according to Independence Park Limited General Manager, Major Desmon Brown, who noted that the only inconvenience caused will be a limited capacity of seats for the duration of the process.

The funding for this project came from a government to government framework for co-operation agreement signed by Jamaica’s Finance Minister, the Hon. Nigel Clarke, and CEO of UK Export Finance, Tim Reid earlier this year.

Clarke, as well as UK Minister for Latin America and the Caribbean, Baroness Jennifer Chapman, were both in attendance on Tuesday.

“UK Export Finance are delighted that this agreement will enable them to support Jamaica’s game changing national priority projects and is proud to back the implementation of high-quality UK solutions and innovations alongside UK Government funding,” said Chapman.

“I’m delighted that we’ve been able to get this deal over the finish line before the departure of Mr. Clarke for his next role at the IMF,” she added.

“When I met the head of the UK Export Finance at a function at the UK High Commission, light bulbs began to go off because there he was in Jamaica looking for business and engagement and I know have projects that we want to develop but where the technical capacity is not abundantly available in Jamaica, for obvious reasons,” Clarke said.

“Sparks began to fly about how we could use the format of a government to government co-operation with the UK Export entity to provide the framework through which the feasibility could be delivered and the construction to follow for the stadium,” he added.

The Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, the Honourable Olivia Grange, has said that Sheldon Clarke former student of Munro College, deserves hearty congratulations and best wishes for his history making advance to the National Football League's International Player Pathway (NFL-IPP) Combine in the United Kingdom.

The NFL International Player Pathway programme offers the opportunity for athletes to bridge the gap between their current skills and the demands of professional American football.

The Combine is scheduled for October 10-12, 2024.

If successful at the Combine, Clarke who is 21, could earn a place in a training programme designed to prepare international athletes for the rigours of the NFL.

Minister Grange said, “This selection is not just a personal triumph for Sheldon, but an inspiration for every young athlete in Jamaica who aspires to play American football."

At the Combine, he will undergo rigorous physical tests, skill evaluations, and interviews with NFL personnel.

The Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, the Honorable Olivia Grange, has announced that Jamaica will again host the World Anti-Doping Agency’s Forum for Caribbean Ministers of Sport.

Minister Grange says that several Ministers have already confirmed their attendance to the Forum — to be held from January 16-17, 2024 — and at which the WADA President, Witold Bańka will make an address and lead discussions.

Minister Grange, fresh from her first meeting of the WADA Foundation Board as the representative of countries in the Americas, is also slated to address the Forum. 

“At the upcoming Forum we will report on the progress we have made as countries and as a region in implementing the anti-doping action plan that we discussed at last January’s Forum right here in Kingston,” said Minister Grange.

“Additionally, we will discuss a number of clean sport issues and initiatives including, athlete education, strengthening national anti-doping organisations in the region, and the critical process of updating the WADA code,” she added.

It’s the third consecutive year that WADA is meeting with Ministers of Sport in the Caribbean to discuss anti-doping matters.  

Minister Grange says Jamaica has been happy to mobilize countries, on behalf of WADA, to the meetings which have facilitated cooperation and collaboration towards a stronger anti-doping programme in the region.

Ministers from the Bahamas, Barbados, Bermuda, St Kitts and Nevis, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago are among representatives from 18 countries that are expected to participate in the WADA Forum at the Jamaica Conference Centre.

“We expect full representation, again, from all the countries in our region at this very important Forum.  We are each at varying stages of the development of our anti-doping in sports programme, but each of our countries is deeply committed to learning from each other and working together to keep sports clean.” 

The Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, the Honorable Olivia Grange, has announced that Jamaica has been elected to three important UNESCO committees, including the powerful World Heritage Committee which has the final say on whether a property is inscribed on the World Heritage List.

Minister Grange said it was “important that Jamaica is at the table helping to make the important decisions in the interest of the country and other Small Island Developing States. So, we take our election to these committees quite seriously and will work to amplify the voices and concerns of states like us.”

Jamaica was one of nine new members elected to the World Heritage Committee at the recent General Assembly of the States Parties to the World Heritage Convention in Paris, France.

Jamaica’s membership to the Committee will run until 2027.  The country will be represented by Miss Debra Kay Palmer and Mrs Tracy Commock.

It is Jamaica’s second term on the World Heritage Committee, having served between 2013 and 2017 when the Blue and John Crow Mountains was inscribed on the World Heritage List.  Jamaica is currently in the process of nominating Port Royal to the List.  Jamaica also intends to nominate Seville Heritage Park to the List.

In the meantime, at the UNESCO General Conference, Jamaica was elected to four-year terms on the Intergovernmental Committee for Physical Education and Sport and the International Coordinating Council of the Man and the Biosphere Programme.

As the anticipation builds towards the Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association (JAAA) National Senior and Junior Championships, the event received a massive $35 million boost from the Government to ensure all goes accordingly for the four-day event which will select Jamaica's teams to various Championships later this year.

With performances from Shericka Jackson, Ackeem Blake, Alana Reid and Jaydon Hibbert, among others, already setting the tone, coupled with the fact that Elaine Thompson-Herah is on the mend and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce will open her season at the July 6-9 championships, spectators are eager to see what will transpire inside the National Stadium.

The country's senior athletes will be hunting spots to the 19th World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary scheduled for August 19-27, while their junior counterparts will vie for selection to the NACAC Under-18 and Under-23 Championships in July, as well as the PanAm Under-20 Athletics Championships and the Under-18 Commonwealth Youth Games, both set for early August.

Minister of Sport Olivia Grange, while reminiscing on the fact that Jamaica is ranked fourth on the medals table with 137 medals, inclusive of 37 gold, 56 silver, and 44 bronze won over the years --only behind United States, Kenya and Russia --said the contribution through the Sports Development Foundation (SDF) represents an affirmation from the Government to support the country's athletes.

Grange, who presented a symbolic $10 million cheque during the event's launch at Jamaica Pegasus Hotel on Thursday, explained that another $25 million will follow in short order.

"As our athletes step up to the line to compete and secure their spots at the respective international meets, we want to assure them of their nation's and government's complete and unwavering support. We want to remind them that we are grateful for their work and contribution to the national pride. 

"Our athletes truly represent Jamaica in a big way. You are some of the best In the world, both at the junior and senior levels and when you compete, you compete hard, you compete fair and play by the rules. Always remember that you are first your own ambassador and then your family, your community and of course your country," Grange said.

"I am happy that we are able to provide this money and we would want to give more but the cake is only so big, but never before in the history of Jamaica his so much money been spent on sports. And in collaboration with the Ministry of Tourism, we will establish a Jamaica House in Budapest. This is something we have been doing at major games and the idea is to leverage the World class performances of our athletes to encourage people to buy Jamaica, so we intend to maximise the prosperity of Jamaica," she added.

Well over 400 athletes are expected to participate in the championships which will feature approximately 60 events for seniors and juniors.

All the country's top stars should also be present, barring injuries, with the marquee events, the men’s and women’s 100m finals and the 400m hurdles finals, set to highlight day two of the meet on Friday, while Sunday's last day will feature the 200m, 400m and sprint hurdles finals.

JAAA President Garth Gayle urged spectators both in Jamaica and abroad to throw their usual support behind the athletes as they give of their best on the track and in the field with one end goal, to represent Jamaica with distinction on the world stage.

Tickets are already available online and will also be made available at the stadium’s ticket office and at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel on Monday. Season tickets will be available for $7,500, while the daily entry for the Grandstand finish line will vary at $1,000 for Thursday, $3,000 for Friday, $2,000 on Saturday and $2,500 for Sunday.

Regular Grandstand tickets are $1,000 Thursday, $2,500 on Friday, $1,500 for Saturday and $2,000 for Sunday.

The bleachers will only be opened on Friday at a cost of $500 for entry.

"I plead with spectators to fill the stands with your fervor, vigour and unflinching support. Your presence plays an important role in fostering that ideal environment to inspire the athletes to greater heights. Let's not overlook the strength of unity, sports provide that wonderful environment for uniting people, breaking down barriers and promoting respect in a current society that it is needed now. So, we want all Jamaicans to journey and come enjoy four days of excellent competition," Gayle said.

"This competition is more than just a way to name winners, it is also a celebration of human spirit, a symbol of strength and tenacity, it is a manifestation of our sense of National pride. I salute our athletes who have dedicated their entire lives and for those who would have been on the cusp of starting their careers, that the tradition will continue. I urge you to take advantage of the chance to come and observe our athletes in competition...keep in mind that they not only perform for themselves," he noted.

Gayle also praised the support of the Government and other stakeholders for their efforts and financial backing in making a championship a possibility.

"We appreciate your constant dedication to the development of athletics in Jamaica and find your effort to be genuinely admirable. The national senior and junior championships is a positive proof of how talented Jamaicans are and why we are regarded as a powerhouse in the world of athletics.

"Our athletes continue to display extraordinary skills, mesmerising our spectators with their grace, their speed, their agility, unmatched tenacity. Once a Jamaican puts on the National colours and goes to face the starter, to jump or to throw, they do so with pride. So we know it will be exciting because of the intense competition, spectacular performances and history-making events that will certainly take place," Gayle stated.

Jamaica's Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, the Honourable Olivia Grange, announced on Friday that the Ministry is continuing with its monthly payments to the clubs in the National Premier League. 

Minister Grange said, “The 14 clubs in the Premier League will receive monthly payments of One-Hundred and Fifty-Thousand Dollars ($150,000) which the Ministry is providing through the Sport Development Foundation (SDF) for the duration of the Premier League season. The scheduled end of the season, which started in November 2022, is April 2023, but the Ministry’s commitment is to whenever the season ends. 

“November and December payments were made today (December 16), in one, Three-Hundred Thousand Dollars ($300,000.00) to the individual clubs by wire transfer. 

“The monthly subvention is to assist the clubs to meet their obligations,” Minister Grange concluded.