NewzKINGSTON, Jamaica – Sport Minister Olivia Grange has announced that a new government scholarship will be named for the late track and field coach, Stephen Francis. The legendary track and field coach passed away on July 4, one day after his 63rd birthday. READ: Stephen Francis, legendary Jamaican track coach, has died The Minister made the announcement on Saturday at the Thanksgiving Service of Francis at the National Indoor Sports Centre in Kingston.
Minister Grange said Francis, affectionately known as Franno, was “among the most brilliant Jamaicans in any field” and that he used his “mind power to shape actions and results.” The Minister said Francis “helped to shape athletes and contributed significantly to Jamaica’s remarkable place in world athletics.” She said his contribution must never be forgotten. “The Government will have discussions with UTech and with Paul [Francis, Stephen’s brother] to see how we can ensure that there is a lasting tribute to Franno. And we are going to be offering a scholarship to a student athlete at the University of Technology.
Those details we will announce at a later date,” said Grange. Francis was Head Coach at the University of Technology (UTech) for 17 years where he was credited with establishing the University as the ‘home of world class athletes’. He was also the leader of the MVP Track Club that trained many of Jamaica’s athletics champions including Shelly Ann Fraser Pryce, Asafa Powell, Elaine Thompson Herah, Shericka Jackson, Brigitte Foster Hylton, Kishane Thompson, and many others from across the world.
HE spent a lifetime on the sidelines, stopwatch and clipboard in hand, watching athletes take their places on the track, but at the thanksgiving service for his life on Saturday, Vincent Stephen “Franno” Francis was in the spotlight. He made his final lap down a red-carpeted track, his cremains carried in a platinum urn as athletes he had trained and mentored formed a guard of honour — a fitting tribute for the legendary Jamaican track and field coach who produced world beaters. The emotion was unmistakable as athletes fought back tears while ushering Francis out of the National Indoor Sports Centre, a stone’s throw from the National Stadium where many of them had delivered some of their greatest performances.
This time, however, there was no race to prepare for, no stopwatch to start, and no final instructions to give, only the painful realisation that they were saying goodbye to the coach who had spent a lifetime helping them find their way to the finish line, and now they were returning the favour. For approximately five minutes, sprint legends Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, Shericka Jackson, Kishane Thompson, Elaine Thompson Herah, and many more who spent years being taught the art and science of sprinting stood still as family members, friends, Government officials, and colleagues looked on, reminiscing on the life of a world-class coach. A nod to his alma mater, Wolmer’s Boys’ School, the sports centre and many attendees were decked in maroon and gold for the four-hour-long service that was enveloped in an atmosphere that swung from grief to celebration.
Kadiam Clayton embraces his twin daughters, Tina (left) and Tia Clayton, who are both sprint champions and MVP athletes, as they mourn the loss of their coach, Stephen Francis on Saturday. (Photo: Garfield Robinson) Pot covers echoed during tributes about Francis’s excellent track record, tears flowed when travelling down memory lane, laughter filled the room at comical moments, and musical tributes and selections provided much-needed comfort. In his tribute, delivered by Finance Minister Fayval Williams, Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness praised Francis for demonstrating what was possible when natural talent was matched with world-class coaching, structure, and preparation.
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