President of the Jamaica Olympic Association (JOA), Christopher Samuda has promised that his organisation will provide full support to the new executive of the Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association (JAAA).
Speaking moments after the results of the JAAA elections were made known on Saturday, Samuda pledged his full support even as he spoke to the importance of sport to Jamaica.
“A new executive has come into being and therefore we must now throw our support behind that executive.
“Sport is, of course, paramount in Jamaica. Sport must be placed high and it must of course determine whatever decisions that we make, and therefore this new executive that has come into being, we will give them support as an apex body.”
With the Tokyo Olympic Games looming large on the horizon, Samuda said that the impact of track and field on Jamaica’s sporting history cannot be understated and as such must be given the attention it deserves.
“Track and field has a very distinguished record in the sporting annals of Jamaica and we want to maintain that, therefore the JOA will of course support as we have been doing over the years. We look for a new dispensation now that a new executive has been elected and we will be working tirelessly with them to ensure that we maintain that glory that the sport has brought us in the past.”
Samuda also spoke of the need for unity between the two powerful organisations — the JOA and the JAAA — in harnessing and developing the talented athletes in the country
“We definitely have the talent, we definitely have the ability, but what we just simply need to do now is come together, unify our efforts, ensure that the systems are there and working and ensure that everybody has their hands on deck and working together.
“Unity is what we will of course advocate for because that will be a critical factor in the development of sport and the advancement of the respective disciplines.”
Gayle also spoke of the alliance with the JOA ahead of the Olympic Games next year.
“We are working with the Jamaica Olympic Association and we are going to ensure that it’s a joint relationship to ensure all protocols, the well-being and safety of our athletes. We want to ensure that our athletes are going into a clean environment as they prepare themselves and that they will be able to show their talent to the world.
“We had already made arrangements with the Tottori Prefecture for our pre-camp so all we will do is just cover all the bases, dot our i’s and cross our t’s to ensure the safety and well-being of our athletes.”
— Dwayne Richards
