What of Jamaica Sport?

KINGSTON, Jamaica – Over the next three to five years, Jamaican superstar athletes will be involved in a series of global and international Games and Championships in several disciplines. Football, Cricket, Track and Field, Netball, Basketball, Swimming (diving) and Volleyball are just some of the sport that will see considerable action.

Most, if not all of the events, will take place out of the Caribbean region, which offers an opportunity for the (Brand) Jamaica to strengthen and deepen its roots in the global space.

From as long as 1948, Jamaican athletes have long established themselves as superstars and have continued to do so in traditional and non-traditional areas.

Yona Knight-Wisdom, for example, just finished second in the 3 metres British Diving competition in preparation for upcoming World Championships in South Korea (July) and European Championship in Ukraine (August) all towards aiming for the 2020 Summer Olympic Games, scheduled for Japan.

Yona Knight Wisdom

The Reggae Girlz will take the field for the first time at this level on Sunday, June 9 against Brazil, in the FIFA Women’s World Cup. The Reggae Boyz are in the Gold Cup as they look to campaign for the 2022 World Cup. There is a long list of football competitions to take place in all age groups on the turf and even in the sand.

Netball heads to Liverpool this summer for what could be a great chance for the Sunshine Girls to climb to number one.

In the last quarter, track and field will dominate with the World Championships and will be the first time since Osaka (2007) that Usain Bolt won’t be competing. We wait to see what that will look, feel and sound like.

That summarizes the outward events. And from all indications, the national federations along with the Jamaica Olympic Association (JOA) have their work cut out for them.

JAMAICA MUST BENEFIT

What of incoming events though? And how will Jamaica benefit from earnings from the global sport industry? Time for a sport agency of known skill and repute to make this happen. We continue to skirt and dance around with the possibilities.

Time for the upgraded version of Jamaica Sport to return – an agency with skills, resources and the requisite financial backing to coordinate island sport tours, major and targeted sport events with franchises, national and international teams and personalities.

This was written some time ago – Bring back Jamaica Sport https://carolebeckford.wordpress.com/2018/09/15/bring-back-jamaica-sport/

It is time, to #CallTheGame

One Love!

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TINO BEST AND JIMMY ADAMS LEAD TEAMS FOR CHARITY

Bridgetown, Barbados – Former West Indies, fast bowler, Tino Best and former Captain, Jimmy Adams will lead two teams for a T-10 Charity match under the theme, Understanding Risk, Friday (May 31) in Barbados.

The match, which is scheduled for the 3Ws Oval at the UWI, Cave Hill Campus is part of an overall conference scheduled for the island May 27 to May 31.

Best, now a cricket commentator, will lead a team that will include outstanding retired Windies players, like Philo Wallace, Ridley Jacobs, Nixon McLean.

Adams, Director of Cricket at Cricket West Indies, will lead a team that will have among its line up Sylvester Joseph, Sherwin Campbell, Nikita Miller and Alick Athanaze.

Four of Barbados’ women’s team players, Keila Elliott, Pam Lavine, Reshelle Griffith and Charlene Taitt will also share the spotlight. Elliott and Griffith will play with Best; while Lavine and Taitt are on the team with Adams.

Best is always happy to give back and he thinks “this initiative is worthy of support.” And Adams agrees, that “any opportunity to unite the people of the region through sport, is always a wonderful opportunity.”

The rest of the line up will include a mix of local players (currently playing in the domestic competition) corporate executives and cricket enthusiasts.

The match will begin at 5pm.

About the conference

Scheduled just before the 2019 hurricane season begins, the Understanding Risk Caribbean Conference aims to celebrate the Caribbean’s disaster resilience; identify gaps that still exist; and galvanize governments, companies, and private citizens to share information, innovations and lessons learned to address disaster risk.

Understanding Risk is a global community of 8,000+ experts and practitioners active in the creation, communication, and use of disaster risk information. The community convenes every two years at UR Forums – five-day events that highlight groundbreaking work, facilitate nontraditional partnerships, and showcase new technical know-how in disaster risk identification. In the interim, regional conferences like UR Caribbean are also held to galvanize localized efforts and build regional capacity in the area of disaster risk assessment.

The partners for this event are the World Bank Group, Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA); European Union, Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR) and Barbados.

-ENDS-

Squads read:

1. Tino Best – Captain
2. Zorol Barthley
3. Tamani Best
4. Shavon Brooks
5. Shak Cumberbatch
6. Keila Elliott
7. Reshelle Griffith
8. Ronald Jackson
9. Ridley Jacobs
10. Nixon McLean
11. Philo Wallace

Other

1. Jimmy Adams – Captain
2. Alick Athanaze
3. Sherwin Campbell
4. Romi Holder
5. Sylvester Joseph
6. Pamela Lavine
7. Michael Matthews
8. Nikita Miller
9. Winston Reid
10. Kemar Smith
11. Andrew Straughn
12. Charlene Taitt

Governance in Sport

The credibility of sporting organizations has come into question a lot in the last decade with the rise in scandals. This has caused, what some believe, a decrease in public’s trust and by extension the process of democracy.

In the meantime, sport continues to strengthen its role as a major influential institution and its process is also one which is used across corporate and a range of other organizations.

According to Hums and McLean, sport governance refers to the exercise of power with consideration given to influence, authority and the nature of decision making.

In the Caribbean we have heard cries for better governance, but we ask what this really means. Sport Australia summarizes its focus on governance to look at adopting a culture that focuses on accountability. In a lot of other jurisdictions, accountability and processes that are used to impact on policy form the general argument about what good governance should really be.

In the UK, a new code for sport was developed in April 2017 which sets out the levels of transparency, accountability and financial integrity that is required for funding from the national lottery.

While the commercialization of sport has seen incredible growth in the last decade with increased revenues and revenue streams – one of the causes of governance failures must be the slow way, especially in this region (Caribbean) that, sport, which remains a voluntary institution, still have inadequate resources to govern the modern, commercial world of sport of today.

Here’s how Adidas structure looks. One of the world’s top sporting brands

Those reasons may not hold much today, even with those facts as there are some sporting bodies that have governed well. There are four key areas that should be placed as priority to ensure each sporting body meets its mandate for accountability.

These key areas are:

• Checks and balances – this is a system which prevents concentration of power in any one place. The concept of separation of power looks at a system which accounts for decision making being done based on roles. This process can counter any outside influences.
• Democracy is also key – this has to do with the public good and how it stacks up against autonomy. The structure of the democratic process must reflect the accountability required. We are looking key success factors such as a legal system, compliance and even a sanctioning process. Stakeholder participation is also key to a democracy along with the way people are elected to govern
• Perception – how people feel. A sporting body must be transparent, and its communication model must show that. All factual matters of the organization must and show find its way to the public in a timely and consistent way.
• Diversity in offerings – sport must meet the need to be socially, environmentally and ethically aware and while meeting all the other needs of operations must find a way to meet these other needs. As sport continues to establish itself and make an impact on the wider society, there is need to refresh its goals and objectives for a comprehensive role while achieving financial success

Steps must and should be taken to hold sporting bodies accountable. Stakeholders should therefore be mindful of the people they elect to serve; while focusing on what the outcomes should be.

Governance is a process and while it is our sport leaders where the buck stops, the process starts with us, electing people who are capable, able and willing to lead and manage sport in a way we can all benefit on and off the field of play.

Volleyball is in the top five richest sport in the world – see its structure

Some progressive news on governance – The IAAF will elect its first female vice-president this year as it continues its efforts to ensure that women are represented at the highest levels of the sport. As part of the widespread reforms adopted by the IAAF Congress at the end of 2016, the IAAF has added minimum gender targets into its constitution to establish parity at all levels in the sport’s governance. This is a welcome addition to the Business of Sport.

#GetInTheGame

March 2019 is Marathon Month in Kingston

When one thinks of the city of Kingston, lots of things come to mind. However, what we want you to think about is what will March 2019 bring.

So far, there are a few important events we have confirmed for the month:

• Boys and Girls Champs – March 26 – 30
• Melbourne (Cricket Club) 5K – March 5
• Long walk to Freedom (Buju Banton) – March 16
• And… The Kingston City Marathon (weekend), March 15 – 17

You then ask yourself, how am I going to do all of this in Jamaica for the whole month of March when I don’t have all that time off?

My choice for you is to come to the Kingston City Marathon www.kingstoncityrun.com and you will get the greatest experience ever.

The weekend’s event will have a welcome (Friday) and an after-party. There will an exhibition on lifestyle and wellness (Saturday) and then there are the races – 5K, 10K, ½ marathon, full marathon (Sunday) (IAAF/Aims certified). The races will take you through some of the historical sites across the city which has been declared one of UNESCO’s Creative City. Also, only recently, reggae has been added to the cultural heritage list. Kingston has a lot to offer to every discerning visitor from home and abroad.

The experience will be diverse. It will have the best of the people of Jamaica. The most sumptuous and tasty food; the best music selections you will hear anywhere in the world; great accommodation – even an hour away in Ocho Rios and the race you will choose to run to relax and to add to your bucket list.

The partnerships established for the Kingston City Marathon will serve not just the business side of the city but will focus its attention of building its Corporate Social Responsibility profile with its continuous support of its charities. You will find the options to support at this link http://www.kingstoncityrun.com/v2/charities/

This 7^th running of the event, while attempting to attract global participation, will have a special focus on the Caribbean and the Project Team has created an opportunity to highlight the top Caribbean winners in each race category. You may even see a Caribbean performer at the after-party.

So, think about this from my view. You have vacation. You have some extra money left over from Christmas. And all the bills are covered – make it Kingston, Jamaica, March 14 – 18 and you will get to have the experience of a lifetime.

Call up your favorite travel agent and secure airline seats and hotel rooms and sign up for the run www.kingstoncityrun.com – you will thank me.

Feel Di Vibes!

#OneLove

Kingston City Marathon – 2019

KINGSTON, Jamaica – Organizers of the Kingston City Marathon (KCM) are looking to surpass 5,000 competitors for its series of raceswith just over 90 days until race day.

Theevent will also seek to recognize “Caribbean Stars” – male and female winners for the first time in 2019. Co-Chair, Nicola Madden-Greig, made the disclosure at a local organizing committee meeting on Wednesday (December 12).

“As part of our efforts to target competitors from the Caribbean region, we plan tohighlight winners from the region in the inaugural marathon event. This is an important event for Kingston and we are hoping to attract competitors from across the globe.”

The event, which is in its seventh year, “is part of what Kingston has to offer, and we are putting out all the stops for a successful event,” noted Madden-Greig.

The Kingston City Marathon is an IAAF/AIMS-certified marathon which allows competitors to use their times to qualify for other international events. 

The three-day event (March 15 – 17) will include a 5k, 10K and the full marathon; in addition to an Expo with a focus on wellness and lifestyle; there will also be a welcome reception and an after-party to complement the weekend’s activities.

Registration remains open at www.kingstoncityrun.com

Come to Antigua

St John’s, ANTIGUA – When one hears of Antigua and Barbuda, there are a few things that come to mind. Cricket, Carnival and the Casual of the Caribbean. Antigua is that place you visit for the casual hide-a-way and where you get to experience peace and quiet, like no where else. I would hasten to add, only if you are a tourist. 

When you visit an island, it is ALWAYS good to find out the popular spots for food, fun and frolic (liquor) and the rest will flow (pun intended).  

The V.C. Bird International Airport is new and boasts spacious hallways. Coming off an international flight, you have access to a jet bridge, while if you fly the regional LIAT, you may have a short walk to the immigration hall. The process is quick and easy and the bag carousels, all five of them are secure, decorated with visual boards for your advertising pleasure. You tend to stand around long enough for network TV commercial break to get your bags. Once you clear that hall with bags, there is a paid taxi service provided by the state and buses for some of the well-established luxury hotels.

Here are a few places you should try to visit while in Antigua:

1.      Sheer Rocks – a chic and exquisite hang out shared with the Cocobay Resorts. The restaurant and bar, world-ranked, offer a sumptuous tapas menu and one the best made sugarcane mojito. Once you have viewed the sunset from the bar, you will want to go back over and over again 

2.      Beach Limerz – for the most sumptuous and tasty pan-fried snapper, this is the place to be. If you are lucky you may even see a few dolphins lurking around as I have been. The menu carries the delectable mix of the island’s favorites. Live music on a Sunday and Karaoke on a Thursday – two activities you will also enjoy.

3.      Tradewinds – the business hotel of the island perched on top of a hill, far from the maddening crowd. It offers a fine option for residents who may not want to cook on a Sunday. Their efforts at the Jamaican jerked chicken is commendable. The view from the dining room offers a panoramic view of Dickenson Bay.

4.      Café Shattoo – off Old Parham Road serves the coldest Heineken anywhere and, on a Friday, the fried pork with onions (you can ask for garlic bread) is well worth the stop. Seasoned fries are also on the menu and those are a must have. 

5.      These days spa treatments are in and more and more people are taking time off to relax. I would recommend the Blue Waters Spa. The care there is top-class and the ride in the cart over to the spa offers a short tour of the elite resort.

In a 14 miles long by 11 miles wide space, 108 square miles – (Antigua), it is hard not to meet a few good people and there are lots of other things to do around. This is the island where there’s a beach a day. Visit Antigua, when you get a chance!  

#OneLove

BRING BACK JAMAICA SPORT

ON A COUCH SOMEWHERE – Back in 2012 there was a group called Sport Tourism Implementation Committee (STIC) and in 2014, there was Jamaica Sport. What was important, even with the name change, the group was assembled to provide the framework to sustainably develop sports tourism as well as leverage local and international sports events to increase visitor arrivals to the island.

The group was chaired by Chris Dehring with a mix of public and private sector sport officials to include skill sets of content development, planning, marketing, operations, venue development, legal to name a few. The combined years of experience could be compared to any other global sporting body and could possibly outscore given the resources, which were available at the time.

Here is a release from the Ministry of Tourism http://www.mot.gov.jm/news-releases/new-‘jamaica-sport’-entity-launched-develop-sports-tourism-locally

During the tenure, we worked closer with the Jamaica Tourist Board, the agency with responsibility to market Jamaica’s Brand and made considerable leap into hosting events which at the time satisfied steadily, the mandate set:

• Growing sport in communities
• Employing and/or using sport officials to manage events
• Attracting tourists to Jamaica (heads to beds)
• Considerable media attention
• Strengthening and deepening Jamaica’s position in the Sport Tourism market

In 2015, with the limitations we had on the immigration form, the JTB was able to capture this information

The point here is, there was tremendous potential. It was also indicated that Sport Tourists have considerable higher spend per day and will return for a vacation after. Those trends have been reported globally, so we were on to something.

Jamaica’s rich sporting history was not to be put aside, as with the consistent excellent performances at international competitions (Summer and Winter Olympics, World Championships, Major League Soccer,) there was a steady build up of the curious and discerning tourist. What was also trending, if only for a specific time, was film crews from all over who would visit to film documentaries, photo shoots, commercials and to attend CHAMPS.

The Jamaica Tourist Board has the records of the events. While the major sporting disciplines were part of the mix, the team offered some insight on what happens when targeted and network sport like Karate, Beach Volleyball, Surfing and Badminton were supported. See excerpt of a report below:

Since November 2014, an investment of US$258,000 was made toward sporting events including: CONCACAF, Netball, Badminton, Track & Field (JIIM), ITF Tennis, Beach Volley, Cricket (CPL & WI v. AUS), Masters Football, Surfing, Golf, Endurance Running, Regional Swimming, and UANA Water Polo Championships.  This generated over 20,000 room nights (4,000 heads to beds) with an overall economic impact of approximately US$6M.

Fast forward to 2016 when Jamaica Sport was dissolved (without warning), we are still struggling to find a strong hold on how to market Jamaica as sport tourist destination.

As Dalton Myers suggested in this column, “maybe we not really ready” (I paraphrased); maybe we need to stop pretending that there is interest. I can’t help but think this is an opportunity missed (again).  Click here to read http://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/sports/20180915/dalton-myers-we-are-not-ready-major-sporting-events

An outlook for opportunities could include events related to:

• CHAMPS 2019 – March 26 – 30 – Kingston
• World Championship 2019 (track and field)
• Summer Olympic Games 2020
• FIFA World Cup 2022

And here’s a reminder of why sport tourists visit a destination – to be active on and off the field/court or for nostalgia. Either way, Jamaica offers both. Let’s get this show on the road. #OneLove.