Samuda calls for sports infrastructure overhaul

JAMAICA Olympic Association President Christopher Samuda says despite outstanding performances at the recent Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland, and the Central American and Caribbean Games (CAC) in the Dominican Republic, Jamaica’s sports infrastructure is still in need of improvement. Jamaica won 19 medals at the Commonwealth Games, all but one coming in track and field, and 11 at the CAC Games, despite the absence of the country’s top track and field stars. Samuda says the country has shown that it is still producing talent that will replace the already established athletes in due time.

Samuda says it is time to take the vision a step further. “Both games demonstrated that we have established and emerging talents. Both management teams showed that we have undoubtedly the expertise in professionally delivering games,” he said in a release, adding: “We must now articulate an indoor and outdoor vision and concretise that vision in brick and mortar in incubating and ultimately actualising talent.” He said the facilities used for the games in Santo Domingo and Glasgow highlighted the need for Jamaica to improve its sporting infrastructure.

“The games in Santo Domingo and Glasgow have ended, and as I reflect on the facilities of both, what becomes evident is that as a country, we will not be able to optimise talent across the spectrum of sport and commercialise sport into an industry unless we improve dramatically the physical infrastructure of sport. “Modern and functional sporting facilities are the training and conditioning grounds for talent matriculation and success. Centres with appropriate amenities and managed by people certified in profession of facility management and with business competencies, provide access and are venues for grassroots development initiatives and community sport, both of which provide a talent pool,” Samuda said.

He reasoned that development cannot be the job of any single sector but must be a joint effort. SAMUDA...infrastructural development as well as a national investment strategy must be driven by private and public sector leadership and capital, particularly if the business of sport is to give us dividends (Photo: Naphtali Junior) “Infrastructural development as well as a national investment strategy must be driven by private and public sector leadership and capital particularly if the business of sport is to give us d…