Tony BeccaWHEN IT comes to quality performances in the field of sport, Jamaica is right up there with any country in the world.
In fact, Jamaica's history is so rich that people around the world no longer marvel at its achievements at its ability to produce world beaters in track and field, great cricketers, champion boxers, a bobsleigh team that has created waves at the Winter Olympics and, among other things, a football team that was good enough to qualify for the World Cup finals.
The world is no longer surprised at anything a Jamaican does in sport. The question these days is how Jamaica, a small, economically poor country, has been able to consistently produce so many great sportsmen and sportswomen?
The answer is simple.
Apart from the natural talent, the rhythm, of the Jamaican which Jamaicans never fail to boast about, one reason is the pride of Jamaicans to be best, the pride in Jamaicans when Jamaicans excel, and the willingness of Jamaicans, most of them, to contribute, in one way or another, as volunteers or as sponsors, to the efforts of those in the pursuit of excellence to those fighting for a place in the sun.
BLESSED
When it comes to volunteers who administer, who seek funding, who coach and who train young sportsmen and sportswomen, when it comes to sponsors who provide money for facilities and programmes, for competition and exposure, Jamaica is blessed, it is second to none, and that is one reason for the country's envied place in the world of sports.
Another reason is that Jamaicans are never satisfied, they always want more, and most times they are always willing to go for it.
At the recent Olympic Games in Athens, Jamaica won two gold medals, one silver medal and two bronze medals and although the celebration is not yet over, there are people preparing for tomorrow people who are making plans to ensure that the tradition of greatness will continue, people who understand what, apart from talent, volunteers and sponsorship, it takes to turn talent into skill.
In order to maintain its greatness, in order for Jamaica, for example, not to depend on the United States and the United Kingdom to fully develop its track and field athletes and its footballers, Jamaica needs good coaches, good trainers and good facilities, and the recent announcement of plans to renovate the facilities at G.C. Foster College of Physical Education and Sports is one of the best pieces of news for Jamaica's sports in recent times.
For 24 years now, G. C. Foster has been assisting the development of Jamaica's sport through the training of coaches and trainers, referees, umpires and other officials and by making its many facilities available to club and national teams.
G.C. FOSTER COLLEGE
As much as it has contributed, however, G. C. Foster has not been properly maintained, because of that it is not contributing as much as it should, and it is good to know that its new principal, Yvonne Kong, is making an effort, with the help of others like board chairman, Dr. Winston Dawes, the Mayor of Spanish, Dr. Raymoth Notice, and project consultant, Steve Ashman, to improve the facilities.
Right now, the facilities at G.C. Foster are not what they should be, according to Ashman, the redevelopment programme is estimated to cost about $50 million and, hopefully, the volunteers who have found so much money for sports over the years, the sponsors who have funded the development of sports for so many years, will once again support a project that will provide Jamaica's young sportsmen and sportswomen not only with coaches and trainers, but with the facilities they need in order to maintain the great tradition of Jamaica in sports.
