JOA proud of the example being set by Reggae Girlz
THE COMMITMENT, courage and fighting spirit of the Reggae Girlz in their journey in Paris to claim a historic berth in the knockout round of the FIFA Women’s World Cup has earned the admiration of a nation and an Olympic salute from the Jamaica Olympic Association (JOA).
Commenting on the matter, JOA Secretary General and Chief Executive Officer, Ryan Foster, who is also chairman of the successful Cavalier FA, said:
“The sport of football has received renewed energy with the exploits of our Reggae Girlz, and women’s football is experiencing a transformation which has gone beyond ‘feel good’ to ‘yes we can’, which is akin to the JOA vision and spirit.”
The Girlz are also on the cusp of another historic feat as, come September, they will face Canada in their bid to qualify for the 2024 Paris Games, and could become the first Jamaican team in the sport to appear on the Olympic stage, the greatest multi-sport event and festival.
With that milestone on the horizon and in tracking the progress of the national team, JOA president Christopher Samuda said: “The JOA acknowledges our Girlz with an Olympic salute that embodies respect, signals hope, is fortified with conviction, and resonates with gratitude.”
The Olympic dream is becoming a reality for more and more member associations of the national governing Olympic body and is being driven by a “sport for all, and all for sport” policy.
“The JOA is of the settled view that every sport and each athlete should be given the opportunity to demonstrate credentials in earning the right to occupy the world stage as of right and not by way of privilege. This is the lesson we have had the privilege of learning and this is the lesson we are teaching with experience and the knowledge that the Reggae Girlz have given and are proving that it can be done,” Foster remarked.
The future of local football with more successes will definitely come into its own and, as we look through the prism, “next year will inevitably arrive at the doorstep of the JOA and the football fraternity with an opportunity to step boldly onto the Olympic stage,” Samuda remarked.
