The Jamaica Olympic Association (JOA) announced that the reallocation of Olympic medals to three Jamaican athletes will take place at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, while showcasing the sponsors for the Paris 2024 campaign during a function at the Terra Nova Hotel in Kingston on Thursday.
GraceKennedy also used the occasion to announce a four-year $75 million. NBA sponsorship of the association which will see the conglomerate providing nutrition support for athletes at the Paris 2024 and LA 2028 Games as well as the Youth Olympic Games and the Pan American Games. First Global bank, a GraceKennedy subsidiary, was also announced as as the official and exclusive banking partner of the JOA.
“Tonight marks a historic moment. GraceKennedy, a name synonymous with Jamaican excellence, is joining forces with the Jamaica Olympic Association, another organisation similarly associated with excellence, as one of its official partners,” said Dave DaCosta, CMO, GraceKennedy Financial Group.
“Athletes are finely tuned machines and peak performance demands peak nutrition. Grace Foods, the official and exclusive nutrition partner, will be providing the Jamaica Olympic team with its full product portfolio at the Olympic Village in Paris,” DaCosta shared.
The medal reallocation, which will take place on August 9 at Champions Park at the foot of the Eiffel Tower, will be done for Beverly McDonald who will receive a bronze medal from the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games in the 200m due to the disqualification of Marion Jones from USA, Chelsea Hammond-Ross, who will receive a bronze medal for the women’s long jump event from the Beijing 2008 Games due to the disqualification of Tatyana Lebedeva from Russia and Kaliese Spencer, who will also receive a bronze medal in the 400m hurdles from the London 2012 Olympic Games due to the disqualification of Natalya Antyukh from Russia.
The JOA also announced that it will provide $6 million worth of scholarships to athletes Shaneika Ricketts, Malik James-King, Christoff Bryan, Samantha Hall and Nyoka Clunis towards their qualification efforts.
“We made it absolutely clear that we will be investing in our athletes and carrying out our mandate, which is sports for all and all for sports and we have continued this approach in financing the endeavors of our athletes and we will continue to do so,” said JOA president Christopher Samuda.
“It is an evolution of the JOA but it is within the context that we have always articulated that our coaches, athletes and administrators are absolutely important to the development of sports and we have in fact marked out a strategic plan that will see continual investment because they are the cornerstone of what we do,” Samuda added.
Representatives from the JOA major sponsors Red Stripe, Supreme Ventures Limited, GraceKennedy and Marathon Insurance all delivered remarks, expressing their companies’ commitment to the efforts of Jamaica’s athletes towards the realisation of their Olympic dreams.
“As a company deeply rooted in Jamaican culture, Red Stripe understands the importance of supporting our athletes as they strive for excellence on the world stage. Through initiatives like our “Go for Gold and Glory” campaign, we’re not just cheering from the sidelines; we’re inviting consumers to join us in the journey,” said Red Stripe’s Head of Corporate Affairs, Dianne Ashton-Smith.
“Indeed, as proud sponsors of the Jamaican Olympic Association (JOA), we’re backing our athletes every step of the way as they prepare to bring home gold and glory. Whether it’s providing resources, training facilities, or moral support, Red Stripe is there, ensuring that our athletes have everything they need to succeed on the world stage,” Ashton-Smith continued.
Meanwhile, Supreme Ventures Limited’s Chief Marketing Officer Heather Goldson underlined her company’s pride in being a key part of the island’s Olympic movement.
“Supreme Ventures Limited is humbled and exited to return as a sponsor of the Jamaica Olympic team, supporting their journey to Paris in 2024. At Supreme Ventures, we believe in creating winners not just through our popular games across the gamut of the industry – lottery, numbers, sports betting, instants, online gaming, horseracing, and multiple others, but also by giving back to sports and sports development in Jamaica in general,” said Goldson.
“For many years, Supreme Ventures has championed Jamaican athletes, coaches, and various sports programmes … and we are the main contributor to the CHASE Fund to the tune of over 95 per cent , enabling them to carry out their activities in sports development.
We first signed a partnership agreement with the JOA in 2021, and we have since then witnessed incredible achievements – our gymnasts earning commendations and medals on the international stage, our senior netball team grabbing Commonwealth and World Championship medals, and our track stars continuing their global dominance. Our sponsorship has played a part in these successes, and we’re proud to have renewed our partnership with the JOA, committing to a new five-year, $75 million agreement earlier this year,” said Goldson.
The Olympic Games will take place in Paris from July 24 to August 11. Jamaica won nine medals (4 gold, 1 silver, 4 bronze) at the last Olympic Games, which took place in Tokyo, Japan in 2021, a year behind schedule due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
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