Ever since COVID-19 took real effect on the Jamaican landscape around March 2020, the local sporting fraternity has taken a battering, with the vast majority of disciplines forced off the playground and their architects, the sportsmen and sportswomen, unable to parade their skills.
With the Olympic Games on the horizon, this has meant a loss of playing opportunity for many who are hoping to get in tip-top shape and engage in competition to qualify for sports’ biggest spectacle.
For others, it is more than just being starved of competition but opportunities to earn and the benefit of communities from a social and economic standpoint in helping to curb violence and provide a source of income for many.
With the signage of a three-year JMD$45 million agreement between Supreme Ventures Limited (SVL) and the Jamaica Olympic Association (JOA), there is hope that such shortcomings will be rectified with an expanded return of sporting competition locally.
In making the announcement, Dennis Chung, CEO, Supreme Ventures Services Ltd., said: “We join hands once more with another major sporting organization, the JOA, so you can truly achieve our goal of becoming a launching pad that propels our local athletes even further.
“The partnership includes a 45-million-dollar investment to develop local sports over three years, commencing in April 2021,” he added.
Underlining sports’ social implications, Chung recorded satisfaction with the timing of this deal with the apex body for local sport.
He said: “I'm happy that this is happening because the truth is that sports are integral to the development, not only of the commercial part but the communities. I know that when we have had issues with violence in the past, one of the first things people always say is let us get sports in the communities and therefore it is important for us if we are going to develop not just in the sporting fraternity, but as a country that we are a part of this walk with the JOA.”
Chung further related the lack of sporting opportunity in Jamaica, while competition has long resumed in other jurisdictions globally.
“We are thankful that this agreement came to fruition in such a time of uncertainty and recognise the importance of uplifting our local stakeholders in the sports community because others globally have moved on and we have to do it also,” he urged.
“The sports industry, like many others, has experienced the negative impact of COVID-19 and more than ever require Jamaica’s support, both publicly and also in the private sector. With this agreement, we hope to aid in the promotion and progression of the Olympic Movement in Jamaica and we highly anticipate the chance to witness our athletes back in action,” said Chung, a former CEO of the Private Sector Organization of Jamaica (PSOJ).
Principals of the JOA, President Chris Samuda and Secretary General/CEO, Ryan Foster, highlighted aspects of their action plan in line with the ideals of Olympism.
Samuda challenged: “Speak to me, speak with me about the Olympic values and ideals that will characterize this partnership for the benefit of countless athletes and sports federations that will, through our Olympic Invest $40M program, give pursuits in sport hope to the hopeless, courage to the discouraged, faith to the faithless, dreams to the undreamt, credibility to the incredible, possibility to the impossibility, realism to the unreal and victory in conquering emotions of defeat.”
The JOA president also noted: “What Jamaica needs is a national business plan and strategies that are customized to the dynamics of the evolving global business of sport and safeguards of best practices and working concepts that understand the local sporting culture; a national corporate plan that integrates, beyond talk, sport with tourism, entertainment and environment and is executed by multi-skilled professionals whose work is governed by timelines, goalscoring GDP deliverables and whose performances are judged by the success of the outcomes.”
Foster reminded us that “the modern Olympic Movement, as we know it, was championed by a Frenchman who believed in the importance of sport in human development and the attainment of world peace. It was his view that success was not measured by winning, but by consistent effort and that when all else fails integrity should hold true.
“The Jamaica Olympic Association, through its board and corporate team, are firm believers in this way of life and seek through their activities to demonstrate this daily,” he added.
“Supreme Ventures will be partnering with the JOA in not only assisting with the development of sport through our member associations, but they will also engage the JOA in numerous activations that span not only the Olympic Games but also the other major Games under the JOA umbrella such as the CAC, PanAm and the Commonwealth Games,” Foster explained.
“With this investment of $45m, Supreme Ventures is now one of the largest corporate sponsors of the JOA and supports one of our strategic objectives to ascertain as least 50 per cent of our funding external to grant and solidarity funds.”
He added: “Supreme Ventures will also partner with the JOA in the continued expansion of our educational perspective, which is centred around education being the best possible pension plan for life after sport. Let us together live out the Olympic motto - faster, higher, stronger.”
Paris get Olympic Games under way with stylish opening ceremony
Paris kicked off the 2024 Olympic Games by making history with the first opening ceremony to be held outside on a rainy night in France.
It is the first time in 100 years that the Games have been held in the French capital, and despite the constant showers, thousands of Olympians from the 205 delegations celebrated as they travelled down the River Seine on boats and barges.
During the nearly four-hour sprawling ceremony, spectators were treated to performances by Lady Gaga, Aya Nakamura and Celine Dion as the city showed off the story of France while commemorating Olympic history.
On a tour of the city, Paris' most well-known landmarks, including the Louvre and Notre Dame Cathedral, were on show as fans packed in around the parade route to get a glimpse of the showcase.
The Olympic flag was delivered to the Eiffel Tower on the back of a mechanical horse travelling down the river, while a masked individual carried the torch across the city.
An incredible light show on the Tower then restarted the torch relay, as Zinedine Zidane reappeared to hand it to two-time gold medallist Rafael Nadal.
The Spaniard, with the help of fellow tennis icon Serena Williams, American sprinter Carl Lewis and Romanian gymnast Nadia Comaneci carried the torch back down the river on its way to the cauldron.
Some of France's best Olympians helped carry it the rest of the way before judoka Teddy Riner and sprinter Marie-Jose Perec lit the flame in the hot air balloon cauldron, which rose high above the Parisian sky, to officially mark the start of the Games.
More than 10,500 athletes will compete across 32 sports at the Games, which will close on August 11.
“The favourite is Thompson”-Boldon highlights Jamaican champion as man to beat in 100m in Paris
Trinidadian four-time Olympic medallist Ato Boldon has named Jamaican sprinting sensation Kishane Thompson as his favourite to take 100m gold at the Olympic Games in Paris.
Thompson, 23, is currently the world leader in the event after running a personal best 9.77 to win the 100m title at the JAAA/Puma National Senior Championships at the National Stadium in Kingston in June.
The MVP Track Club-trained sprinter also produced times of 9.82 and 9.84 in the heats and semi-finals, respectively, at those national championships and, most recently, ran 9.91 shutting down to win at the Gyulai Istvan Memorial in Hungary on July 9.
“Thompson is the favourite,” Boldon said in an interview with LetsRundotcom on YouTube on Friday.
“I know Noah (Lyles) is the World champion. I think Noah made it a little bit more interesting by running that 9.81 into a headwind which kind of almost converts to a 9.77 but there’s no way you can look at the way in which Thompson ran that 9.77 and just go ‘Oh Noah will beat him.’ Noah has his hands full with that guy,” Boldon said.
Blazing speed acknowledged, one thing that Thompson lacks that his other competitors don’t is experience competing at the highest level of the sport with this being his first time representing Jamaica at any level.
If there is anything to prevent Thompson from delivering on the form that he’s shown so far this season, Boldon believes that would be this lack of experience on a stage like the Olympic Games compared to his peers.
“There are things which I see people completely ignoring. Kishane Thompson has not been under the microscope of Olympic favourite. Rounds are a great equalizer. Noah has the medals that he does because of how well he runs rounds. Is Noah suddenly a lock for the silver? No but he does have his hands full,” he said.
“There are others who are going to be in the 100m that are used to the pressure and pressure is a big thing. If he’s able to pull this off, you write books about stuff like that,” he added.
Thompson's quest for Olympic glory will begin in the heats of the men's 100m beginning on Saturday' August 3.
Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce launches hair care line, AFIMI, ahead of final Olympic Games
In what is hoped will be a memorable year for Jamaican track and field star Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, the legendary sprinter has announced the launch of her new hair care line, AFIMI. The announcement comes as Fraser-Pryce prepares to compete in her final Olympic Games, aiming to make history by winning a record-extending fifth Olympic 100m medal in Paris.
Fraser-Pryce, 37, has faced injury challenges over the past few years and has only had four races this season, three of which were at the Jamaican national championships in late June. Despite her limited time on the track, her entrepreneurial spirit continues to thrive. The three-time Olympic gold medalist shared the news of her latest venture on Instagram, posting a video that features her running on a track, enjoying the beach, and proudly standing beside her products, all while wearing various hairstyles that showcase the versatility of her yet-to-be-released hair care line.
In her Instagram post, Fraser-Pryce, adorned in Jamaican colors, is seen wearing braids, lace front wigs, and other styles, emphasizing the multi-use nature of AFIMI products. The caption reads, “Hair is your most powerful form of self-expression and has been an exciting way to reinvent myself every time I step on the track. From the main stage to the finish line, my hair has helped me set the tone for many fearless victories. That’s why it’s so important that it gets the care it needs. I’ve designed these products with you in mind to keep your hair feeling and performing its best no matter what comes your way. This line is a vibrant tribute to Jamaica, inspired by its lush resources and welcoming essence — each ingredient naturally sourced from the earth to enhance your natural beauty. AFIMI, It’s for you, no matter who you are.”
Fraser-Pryce is no stranger to making bold statements with her hair. Whether at the World Athletics Championships or the Olympic Games, she has consistently used her hair to express her vibrant personality and Jamaican pride. At the 2019 World Championships in Doha, Qatar, she won her fourth world championship gold medal in the 100 meters with a stunning rainbow-dyed hairstyle. In 2022, she claimed her record fifth world 100m title in Eugene, Oregon, while sporting a beautiful blonde look with green and yellow highlights.
At the 2023 World Athletics Championships, she left fans speechless with a striking orange wig featuring elements of hot pink during her first 100m heat. Similarly, at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, she wore a yellow-to-orange ombre wig while taking home the silver medal in the women’s 100m race.
Fraser-Pryce's love for hair dates back to 2013 when she launched Chic Hair Ja, a store that retailed virgin human hair and hair care products in Kingston. The store enjoyed a successful run until 2017. That same year, she revamped and rebranded her hair care line to Lady Shelly, adding natural products to the lineup. Lady Shelly featured products made in Jamaica with natural ingredients, catering to all hair textures and positioning itself as a multicultural hair care line.
As Fraser-Pryce prepares for her final Olympic Games, fans are eagerly anticipating not only her performance on the track but also the stylish hair looks she will undoubtedly bring to Paris. With AFIMI, she continues to inspire and empower, showing that her influence extends far beyond the world of athletics.
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