Jamaica Olympic Association (JOA) President Christopher Samuda has charged the nation’s athletes to put themselves in a position to benefit from the unprecedented numbers of qualifying sporting disciplines which will be available to them ahead of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
According to Samuda, the 2023 Pan American Games slated for Santiago, Chile, from October 20 to November 5, and the 2023 Central American and Caribbean Games, slated for June 23 to July 8 in San Salvador, El Salvador, are no longer “second cousins” to the Olympics, but “important Games” in their own right.
“This is indeed breaking news for the Santiago 2023 Pan American Games will have the most qualifying sports for any Olympic Games ever in its history and therefore I’m encouraging all athletes across the spectrum of sports to endeavour to book their tickets to these Games and provide themselves with an opportunity to represent Jamaica in 2024 at the Paris Olympic Games,” Samuda told CNW Network.
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From a Jamaican perspective the sporting disciplines with direct qualification to the Paris 2024 Olympics, which will be at the 2023 Pan American Games include archery, boxing, breaking, diving, equestrian, field hockey, gymnastics, handball, modern penthatlon, sailing, shooting, sport climbing, surfing, table tennis, lawn tennis, and water polo.
And those sporting disciplines with qualifying standards and points towards Olympic rankings for the Paris 2024 Games include athletics, badminton, basketball three on three, bmx, cycling, swimming, taekwando, triathlon and weightlifting.
“As this administration of the Jamaica Olympic Association has maintained, the Pan American Games, as well as the Central American and Caribbean Games (CAC) are no longer second cousins but are important Games in their own right,” Samuda noted.
HE added: “What are we at the JOA therefore saying to our men and women who are aspiring to wear the black, green and gold in Paris in 2024, we are saying get with the programme of the JOA and the Santiago 2023 Pan American Games and get into the Games.”
