A GROUP of Jamaican track and field enthusiasts, in Bahamas for this year's Carifta Games, found themselves in the midst of locals, who had come out in their numbers to support their home teams.The cheering carried such enthusiasm and fervour that on their return to Jamaica they started to enlist support to put together their own cheering section with the summer hosting of the World Junior Championships in Athletics on their minds.
The Jamaican massive in the Bahamas which was led by Aggrey and Sharon Palmer, proud parents of Carifta triple gold medallist, young Matthew, a Wolmerian, first visited the Chairperson for the Public Relations Committee of Kingston 2002, the group charged with the responsibility to stage the World Juniors. The lady, Gloria Royale-Davis, gave the initiative full blessing.
Then artistes were needed to do lyrics and put them to popular Jamaican rhythms. The popular recently turned gospel singer, Cleve Laing better known as Lieutenant Stitchie, and himself a former high school athlete, was most helpful in this regard. His effort "Whop them" was really what was required. Janine Cunningham and Damion Byrou, students in Sound Engineering put forward "Rise Up" and Damion, on his own, did "Jamaica Wave", Mahlon Moving together with his lecturer, Don McDowell did "Ja Mek Ya".
Stitchie came good again with "Jamaica Gold".
These renditions put to music, will form the core of Jamaica's cheering section for the week of track and field and it is hoped that all Jamaican supporters, who are expected to flock to the Stadium, will catch the lyrics, the beat and the rhythm and stimulate our young athletes to the outstanding performances we all expect as they take on the world's elite.
The cheer leader for this World Juniors cheering section will be popular Cornwall College athlete Jacques Smith who represented the country at the recent CAC Junior Championships in Barbados.
