Edward SEaga, Contributor
Sports could be bigger and better in Jamaica if only it had the financing to build it as an industry as other countries are doing in some sports, Jamaica is already at world-class standard.
Jamaican athletics is now fourth-ranked in the world. In the last World Games, in August, only the United States, Russia and Kenya ranked ahead of Jamaica. Better still, Jamaican athletes are earning medals now not only in the sprints, but field events also: hop, step and jump, long jump and, unbelievably, the most gruelling competition of all - the decathlon (10 events in track and field) in which Maurice Smith won a silver medal in the World Games and gold in the PanAm Games.
The achievements of Asafa Powell, Sherone Simpson and Aleen Bailey are all the more fantastic in that they train on a grass track at the University of the Technology (UTech). Visitors connected to athletics find this unbelievable.
Much of the prowess of our athletes is due to natural ability and determination to succeed. But none could be successful without proper training which they receive on scholarships at colleges in the United States, and now, at home with the MVP Club led by outstanding Jamaican trainer, Stephen Francis, who trains our Olympians.
All these successful athletes, however, have one thing in common. They are all secondary- school graduates who are eligible because their academic levels are sufficient for admission to college. The haunting question is how many other athletic gems are there around who will never sparkle because of insufficient academic achievements. Certainly, there should be many such possible trainees just under the academic barrier who are unable to avail themselves of athletic scholarships.
This is where the G.C. Foster College can play the role of 'fostering' the educational needs while expanding first-class sports development. G.C. Foster could operate under the mentorship of UTech, which could design appropriate academic programmes and even offer degree courses to those whose results eventually qualify them. Those promisingathletes who could not receive athletic training because of academic inability could then be trained in Jamaica while receiving supplementary academic training, adding to the pool of possible new stars.
Upgrade G. C. Foster
The G.C. Foster College should be upgraded to be an outstanding sports academy offering training at high professional levels in track and field, football, cricket, netball, basketball and boxing, as well as in the up-and-coming sports showing good regional performance - badminton, lawn tennis, table tennis and swimming. The main problem in nurturing outstanding athletes is that when they are recognised at an early age, no special grooming, training or nutrition is provided to maximise their potential. This is the kind of specialist treatment provided in New Zealand for netball, Australia for cricket and in Spain and Italy for football. Note that all these are countries with world champion teams. In New Zealand, the girls live in a special hostel and receive a stipend which allows them to be available to train morning and evening. They do not have to find jobs to finance their living expenses. There is no half-way measure in sports training if we want world champions. But what good would it do for Jamaica if a maximum training academy were established?
The branding of Jamaica as a world power in different sports would be of inestimable value to the promotion of the country as a nation moving towards a First-World experience on a broad base. The exploits of sporting champions carry huge advertising benefits which the country could never afford to buy elsewhere. Of equal importance is the powerful lift created in the national psyche, using a non-political glue to bring greater social and political harmony and stability to society and to provide more wholesome models for young people.
I am a great believer in doing whatever is necessary to promote those areas of promise in national life where the national talent is good enough to take Jamaica to the top. If the talent is there, it means that the talented ones have done their half of the job, leaving the all-important make-or-break second half to others to find the necessary resources in funding, facilities and technology to lift them to the top.
This requires substantial funding by the private and public sectors. Football is the most popular sport by far, but it is also the most expensive, so expensive in fact, that it has outstripped the ability of the clubs to carry on. In this current year, football was in crisis from the beginning of 2007 with several clubs on the verge of collapse.
None of the clubs could face the 2007-08 football season. It was at that point that the clubs decided that either the JFF allow them to seek their own sponsorship arrangements or they would decide not to participate in the league this year.
If that had happened, it would have been a death blow to Jamaica's football programme, because without Premier League participation, the football programme for the World Cup and other international competitions would have had to be abandoned, blanketing Jamaica with shame, nationally and internationally.
Fortunately, the JFF and in particular President Crenston Boxhill and General Secretary Burchell Gibson, gave the newly founded Premier League Clubs Association (PLCA) cooperation in obtaining official approval to seek its own sponsorships.
Need for sponsors
Before the Government changed, Omar Davies and I worked together to find five sponsors who could each contribute $50 million or a total of $250 million, which is what it cost to run the league annually for 12 clubs, all of which were on the verge of shutting down. Only one was able to respond fully, Cash Plus Limited, which I had to approach since the Government and the company still have differences, which they are discussing.
The $50 million per year for three years agreed by Cash Plus is a milestone achievement since it more than doubled the recent Wray and Nephew sponsorship of $23 million which, up to then, was the highest. In addition, $10 million and quite likely more, will be available for prize money. This again is the highest ever total for prizes. This does not by any means reflect on Wray and Nephew, which was providing more than any other sponsor before. It reflects on the extra generosity of Cash Plus and its ability to seize a good commercial promotional venture.
With the PLCA raising its own funds, roughly 90 per cent of the funding will go to supporting the expense of the teams and prize money, whereas under the JFF administration, only 30 per cent of the Wray and Nephew funds were allocated for the teams. The remainder was allocated to paying the referees, providing prize money and financing the JFF. Indeed, already, the first two monthly payments received by the clubs since September from Cash Plus total more than what was received by them for all of last year.
We have no doubt that any effective JFF administration can raise its own funds separately from the proceeds of international games, FIFA and elsewhere, to finance its own operations. The PLCA will provide the JFF with the funds for the referees, match officials and such administration expenses (to be settled) as is related to the league to ensure that the JFF is not out of pocket by the change of arrangements with the previous sponsor. This is the basis on which the PLCA will be proceeding in partnership with the JFF.
But it is important to note that all the financing raised is only covering one-fifth of the cost of the club's football programme and some clubs may find it impossible to finish the season. The situation is, therefore, still fragile and more will have to be done, but at least a spectacular start has been made.
Other ideas are being studied which can possibly help to lift sports to a higher level, opening doors to greater prominence for the country, satisfaction for the people, hope for youths and prospects for athletes. Prime Minister Bruce Golding has already given his endorsement to supporting sports to enable Jamaica to reach greater levels of achievement.
There is a commercial role for the private sector to play which can reap good financial benefits as the PLCA now moves to become an independent league next year taking Jamaican football, through TV and Internet, to the Jamaican diaspora who are hungry for games from home. We should remember that it was the diaspora that gave the commercial push to Jamaican music by establishing a strong overseas market for Jamaican records. Left to the small Jamaican market alone, far less would have been achieved.
There are great prospects ahead, but only if our minds are able to appreciate them. Spectators need to play their part too. No sporting effort can be successful without crowd support. That being so, come out and support your teams for the greater glory of country, community and self!
Edward Seaga is a former Prime Minister. He is now a Distinguished Fellow at the University of the West Indies. Email: odf@uwimona.edu.jm.
