Sporting Federations Urged to Expand Events

Vice President of the Jamaica Olympic Association (JOA), Vishu Tollan, is urging local sporting federations to work with the JOA to develop more athletes to participate in diverse Olympic events.

Spurred by the country’s participation in diving at the Rio Olympics, a first since 1972; and in gymnastics for the first time, Mr. Tollan says he has high hopes for Jamaica to compete in more “non traditional” events, adding that this could be a possibility for the 2020 Olympics, which is to be held in Tokyo, Japan.

In an interview with JIS News at a press conference on October 11 at the Spanish Court Hotel, in Kingston, where a programme of celebrations were outlined by the Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, Hon. Olivia Grange, to honour athletes who took part in the 2016 Rio Olympic and Paralympic games, Mr. Tollan encouraged the federations to get athletes involved in more events.

“This is something that the JOA would have to look at and map that strategy along with the different national federations and the Government, because they would have to put some resources into the federations through the Sports Development Foundation. What we want is for the national federation to come up with some plans as to how we develop our athletes to expand into the different areas,” he said.

Historically, Jamaica has competed in non traditional sports, such as boxing, cycling, badminton, equestrian, taekwondo, table tennis, free style skiing and gained significant attention as a tropical nation competing in the bobsled event in the 1988 Winter Olympics.

The country first participated in the internationally renowned Olympic Games in 1948 and has competed in every game since then.

In the 2016 Games Jamaica finished 16th overall out of 205 countries in medals acquired, with a total tally of 11 medals: six gold, three silver and two bronze.