Olympians Receive Prime Minister’s Medal of Appreciation

The Prime Minister’s Medals of Appreciation, were on Wednesday (October 8), presented to members of the 2008 Olympic team, including coaches and team officials.
The presentation was made at the Western Olympic Gala and Trelawny Homecoming Celebrations, held at the Trelawny Multi-Purpose Stadium near Falmouth.
The Jamaican team, led by triple Olympic champion and World Record holder Usain Bolt, was again showered with accolades and awards and given the ‘Beijing heroes’ welcome by thousands of citizens from across western Jamaica and other parts of the country.
In a celebration of the stellar achievements of athletes from western Jamaica at the Olympics, the ceremony, which was organised in collaboration with the Trelawny Parish Council, saw the 2008 Olympians from the parish, presented with accolades and plaques by Mayor Colin Gager.
Addressing the large crowd at the venue, which was filled to capacity, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Dr. Kenneth Baugh, said that the athletes were true champions who had done the country proud, making Jamaica a “brand name” across the world.
“Our athletes have taught us not to have doubts but to believe in ourselves as a great nation. They have taught us that all the wounds of the past, all the discriminations, all the discouragements, all the prejudice, all the doubts and all the myths about poor people and poor countries, all those have been dispelled by our athletes. They have showed us that there is nothing that any human being can do that we as Jamaicans cannot do it better . Jamaicans are the best. We also want to show appreciation to all those unsung heroes who worked behind the scenes and have made those athletes excel at the Olympic Games,” Dr. Baugh said.
In the presentations that followed, the Deputy Prime Minister was joined by Minister of Information, Culture, Youth and Sports, Olivia Grange, and Minister of Water and Housing, Dr. Horace Chang.
The entertainment package was laced with creditable performances from the Nexus Choir, folk and traditional performers, victory dancers, the Jamaica Constabulary Force Band, as well as entertainers such as: Karen Smith, Ritchie Stevens, Taurus Riley, Etana, Elephant Man, Marcia Griffiths, and Bob Andy, among others.