Minister Grange Discusses Cooperation with German Sports Minister

The Government of Jamaica is seeking to establish partnerships with the Federal Republic of Germany in areas of sports development.
Jamaica’s Sports Minister, Hon. Olivia Grange, met with her German counterpart, Dr. Wolfgang Schauble, Tuesday (August 18), in Berlin, to discuss possible areas of co-operation between both countries.
Miss Grange paid a courtesy call on Dr. Schauble, the Minister of the Interior with responsibility for sports. They later watched the evening session of the 12th IAAF World Championships together at the Olympic Stadium.
Dr. Schauble congratulated Minister Grange on Jamaica’s performances at the games, noting that he was pleased with the country’s strong showing in the sprint events. Miss Grange, in turn, thanked Dr. Schauble and the German Government for staging an excellent World Athletic Championships and for being wonderful hosts.
Both Ministers recognised possibilities for co-operation, in areas such as sports administration, exchange of expertise and capacity building.
Miss Grange said there was the possibility for German sprinters being trained in Jamaica, while Germany could provide Jamaica with developmental support in disciplines such as soccer and field events. She also mooted the idea of sporting exchanges and competitions between the two countries in various disciplines.
Dr. Schauble referred to the doping situation currently surrounding Jamaican athletics, and indicated that Germany had faced similar problems. He stressed the need for both countries to remain committed to the fight against doping in sports.
Minister Grange presented him with the Jamaica anti-doping kit and explained how much JADCO had accomplished in its first year of operation. Dr. Schauble said he was impressed with the material, and suggested that Germany could partner with Jamaica in the area of capacity building. She told JIS News that she was satisfied with the outcome of the meeting.
“I believe we have discussed some very important issues, and we will keep the dialogue going through diplomatic channels, to ensure that we achieve some results that are mutually beneficial,” she said.
“Germany has a wealth of technical resources that we can benefit from, and Jamaica has a lot to offer in terms of our developmental systems. We will now seek to move forward with the necessary exchanges required to put a programme in place,” the Jamaican Minister added.
Miss Grange was joined at the meeting by Jamaica’s Ambassador in Berlin, Her Excellency Joy Wheeler.