The governing body of esports in Jamaica, Jamaica Esports Initiative (JEI), is now an official member of the Jamaica Olympic Association (JOA).
On September 23, the JEI received unanimous votes for approval. Roughly a month later, they got a letter from the JOA solidifying the deal.
“This is certainly not a first in the world, but we believe it’s a first within the Caribbean. Some territories have an acknowledgment from their Olympic bodies, but full acceptance is not prevalent,” President of the JEI, Gregory Moore said.
“The JEI is elated to be accepted by the JOA as it further solidifies and validates the notion of Esports becoming an Olympic sport.”
National esports team, Dr. Birdz, anticipates further athlete development from this historic deal.
“The National Esports Team will now have access to the same resources that other athletes within the Olympic movement have. It will also allow us to seek sponsorship from corporate supporters of the Olympic body,” Moore said.
As an official member of the JOA, the JEI looks forward to new opportunities and resources that will benefit the preparation of the national FIFA esports team that will be managed by the JFF, which is also under the JOA.
The JEI has several upcoming FIFA events in preparation for the qualification of the national FIFA Esports team in 2021.
“Any progress made by the JEI helps with events we stage. So, we expect the full support of all entities within the Olympic Movement. Especially partners who assist with staging Olympic qualifiers,” Moore said.
