Minister Grange to Lead Stakeholder Dialogue on National Athlete Retention Strategy

Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, Hon. Olivia Grange, is set to engage key stakeholders, with the aim of establishing a national strategy for athlete support and retention.

She made the disclosure during her 2025/26 Sectoral Debate presentation in the House of Representatives on Tuesday (June 24).

The Minister was responding to recent decisions by several Jamaican athletes to switch national allegiance, with some now set to represent countries such as Türkiye at international events, including the 2028 Olympic Games.

“We will look at how we can expand partnerships with the private sector to provide financial incentives and sponsorship opportunities, and enhancing training and recovery infrastructure to meet international standards,” Ms. Grange said.

Focus will also be placed on offering career transition services for athletes beyond competition, long-term career planning, expanded financial and health coverage in collaboration with the private sector, and enhanced national representation incentives –particularly for high-performance athletes.

The Government is also looking to strengthen partnerships with sporting federations to support holistic athlete development from grassroots to elite levels.

Speaking further on the matter, Minister Grange noted that the global sporting landscape has shifted, with countries such as Qatar, Bahrain, and Türkiye attracting talent from nations like Kenya and Ethiopia by offering financial stability, improved resources, and long-term security.

“Jamaica is not immune to these global shifts. Interestingly, there are top athletes whose sponsorship contracts dictate their level of national involvement once they sign. Athletes, like professionals in any field, must weigh their opportunities, resources and long-term viability. This is not to say we are comfortable losing our talent; quite the opposite,” she stated.

Ms. Grange said these developments, “should serve as a clarion call to strengthen our national athlete support systems, not just at the elite level but through grassroots and transition programmes, that they secure their careers before, during and after competition, and we are on that path”.

The Minister noted that local companies have been stepping up to support top athletes, highlighting triple jumper Shanieka Ricketts, who recently became Dolla Financial Services’ Brand Ambassador.

“Shanieka Ricketts has indicated that despite requests from other countries, she is determined to remain a Jamaican athlete. She chose Jamaica. This has provided an opportunity for local company Dolla Financial Services to offer her sponsorship, and I want to commend it for doing that,” Ms. Grange said.

“There are several other companies that are sponsoring other athletes, and we thank those companies for working with our athletes, and we want to welcome more companies, more from the private sector, to come on board and support our athletes,” she added.

Ms. Grange pointed out that the Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association (JAAA), which plays a pivotal role in nurturing and developing the country’s athletes, is not a corporate entity with the legal or financial mandate to provide end-of-career support.

“That said, many of our accomplished athletes have found homes in the private and public sectors, from law enforcement to coaching, from corporate ambassadorships to entrepreneurships. We must recognise these examples as national successes while also seeking to systematise such transitions to benefit a wider group of retired athletes,” she stated.

Minister Grange also reiterated that the Government cannot interfere with the operations of national sporting federations, as they are governed by their respective international bodies.