SPECIAL REPORT: THE COMMONWEALTH AND THE POWER OF SPORT
SPORT AS A VEHICLE OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT: JAMAICA’S SPORTS SUCCESSES The Minister of Sport for Jamaica writes about how sport can be utilised for sustainable development. Whenever our sports stars take the stage internationally, and even locally, all of Jamaica stands still. Transfixed to the electronic boards in town squares or glued to the nearest television screen. We stand united, a powerhouse. Sports have the power to break barriers and transcend boundaries. Sports can reduce conflict, build character, increase access to educational and economic opportunities as well as build leadership skills for men, women and Para athletes. The Government of Jamaica has established a National Development Plan, ‘Vision 2030 Jamaica’ for which sport is considered a ‘strategic priority’. The aim is to develop and heighten the local and community components of sports, and to enhance and enrich the national contribution of sport. In particular, increased attention will be paid to: • Broadening opportunities for participation in recreational and competitive sports for persons of all age groups; • Increasing facilities for sporting events at the national, community and school levels; • Increasing the number of trained coaches, administrators and other personnel; • Strengthening the institutions for sport education and administration; and • Establishment of appropriate and effective policies, legislation and regulations to promote sport participation. (Vision 2030 Jamaica, P.1) As Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, I am the chief facilitator of sports in Jamaica. My Ministry is charged with developing and safeguarding sports through its sporting agencies, the Institute of Sports (INSPORTS), Independence Park Limited, the Jamaica Anti-Doping Commission (JADCO) and the Sports Development Foundation (SDF). INSPORTS is responsible for promoting and developing sports at the grassroots level and each year holds numerous local, regional
and national competitions, across many sporting disciplines, for primary school and high school students island-wide. For instance, the INSPORTS National Primary Schools Championships provides a track and field platform with a view to identifying talent at the earliest possible stage and channelling athletes through a structured programme for national and international representation. The championships have proven to be a fantastic development arena for many of our athletes, some of whom are now world-beaters. These include Shelly Ann FraserPryce, Melanie Walker, Warren Weir, Kerron Stewart, Jazeel Murphy, Ramone McKenzie, Javon Francis, Raheem Chambers, Christopher Taylor, Briana Lustan, Boughwgjie Ekrumie and Yourie Lawrence. The Institute of Sports has engaged more than one thousand young people at its grassroots summer camps across the island and is also introducing ice hockey in collaboration with the Jamaica Ice Hockey Federation. The current programme has seen the recent introduction of chess, golf and surfing to inner-city youths. INSPORTS has also conducted a talent search and recruited 35 boys for its Cricket Incubator programme. The Cricket Incubator has shown promise and we will now extend it through a partnership involving INSPORTS, the SDF, the Ministry of Education and Youth, and the Jamaica Cricket Association. Under the partnership, students will be exposed to batting, bowling and catching during the first three years of primary school. After which, leading into high school, they will focus on other techniques and playing matches. Through the SDF, the government will invest J$15M in 120 schools under this initiative through which the Jamaica Cricket Association will be able to spot and nurture talent for the national programme. In addition to facilitating programmes to nurture talent and enable our young athletes to pursue their passions, infrastructure is key. In this regard, the Sports Development Foundation spent more than
Hon. Olivia Grange, CD, MP
is the Jamaica Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport. Elected as the Member Parliament for St Catherine Central in 1997, she was appointed as the Minister in 2007. She has had a long career as a cultural activist, working at the grassroots level in developing and managing talent in Jamaica’s creative and cultural industries, particularly the music industry. She is committed to the promotion of youth and women’s affairs with a particular focus on job creation and improved health care. In 2015, she was awarded the Order of Distinction, in the rank of Commander (CD), for her contribution to the Jamaican music industry, cultural development and public service. The Parliamentarian | 2022: Issue Two | 100 years of publishing | 125