Winston Sill/Freelance Photographer
LEFT: Prime Minister Bruce Golding (centre, front row) and Minister of Information, Culture, Youth and Sports Olivia Grange hang out with athletes before the Jamaica Invitational Meet, at the Hilton Kingston hotel, New Kingston, on Friday, May 2.
RIGHT: TVJ General Manager Kay Osborne (left) in deep conversation with Justice Minister Dorothy Lightbourne.
Chester Francis-Jackson, Contributor
Luvs, for an island that has produced some of the world's fastest and most enduring athletes in track and field, the question was always when, not if, Jamaica would stage the sort of athletic meet on its own shores that would help in the process of asserting its role as a superpower in the sport.
And, make no mistake about it, for an island nation devoid of the technological amenities, scientific resources and the financial wherewithal that developed nations have assigned to their track and field programmes, Jamaica stands heads and shoulders above the rest.
Long overdue
But back to the moot of this meet - Jamaica, asserting its primacy in the world of track and field. This, my dears, was an idea long overdue, and when it finally came to fruition, was more than just another 'invitational', but also acted as a fillip to Kingston's lagging tourism image. It brought an influx of international track and field stars who, in effect, are goodwill ambassadors for the nation's capital.
Well, the fifth staging of the Jamaica International Invitational Meet was hosted last Saturday at the National Stadium. To welcome the stars as well as to provide an atmosphere of conviviality where the athletes can meet and greet each other before the pressures of competition set in, Prime Minister Bruce Golding and Minister of Information, Culture and Sports Olivia 'Babsy' Grange, hosted a cocktail reception in their honour at the tres chic Hilton Kingston hotel on Friday, May 2.
Exciting meet
Luvs, it's still early years yet, but the Jamaica International Invitational is definitely earning its laurels as one of the more exciting meets on the international roster, and with last Saturday's blistering performance by track star prince, the talented Usain Bolt, luvs, the meet will only grow in stature and appeal. The cocktail reception, however, was really quite the do, and then some!
Doves, the hotel's grand ballroom was done up in festive tones to reflect an air of celebration. The decor boasted a family-size television screen playing highlights from meets past, both national and international; as well as some wonderfully laid out food stations, boasting a sampling of some of this country's more famous dishes. The faint hum of reggae music provided the perfect mood for what was truly a relaxed occasion.
Track luminaries
Dears, the ballroom was abuzz with the luminaries of track and field, and the sporting fraternity in general, and not just from Jamaica or the region, but also the hot names of the US, and a number of others outside of these shores, and it made for one happening fiesta!
With libations flowing and nibbles aplenty, it all made for an easy do here, and even though there were stars aplenty, mercifully, there was no star and/or diva attitude here, and equally of note, no obnoxious fans pushing for photo-ops or autograph-seeking junkies, to spoil the good-natured atmosphere that was the order of the evening.
And so it was that when Mr Golding put in his appearance, it was timed to perfection, he making the rounds, meeting and greeting guests, and being pretty much treated and greeted like the political star that he is, stopping from time to time to indulge in one-on-ones with a number of the athletes in attendance.
'Celebathon'
There were no speeches, as this was not that kind of a party, as it really was a track and field 'celebathon', the accomplished and the hopefuls all coming together with no guile, but rather more in awe and respect of the other's prowess, with a number of sporting aficionados and commentators in attendance.
Speaker of the House Delroy Chuck; Attorney General/Minister of Justice Senator Dorothy Lightbourne; French Ambassador Francis Hurtut; Honorary Consul of Iceland Robert MacMillan; president of the Jamaica Amateur Athletic Association Howard Aris; chair of the Sports Development Foundation David Mais; Bunny Pommels; vice-chairman SDF; chairman, JCDC, Hugh Nash; president, International Netball Federation, Molly Rhone, and Jamaica's national football coach Rene Simoes.
We saw TVJ's Kay Osborne; CVM's Dr David McBean; businessman Eddie Shoucair; Ali McNab; Elaine Wint-Leslie; Norma Brown-Bell; Colin Leslie; Vivian Crawford; Marva Bernard; Dr Warren Blake; Barbara Blake-Hannah; Hyacinth Bennett; Dr Jonathan Greenland; Robert Stephenson; Tal Stokes of bobsleigh fame; the lovely Lisa Marzouca; Ed Khouri; Charmaine Anderson; television co-host Neville Bell; model Raquel Jones; Maj Greg Webster; Dawn Heron; Garnett Reid; Sonia Christie; Marvette Briscoe; Dr Maria Smith; Miss Jamaica Universe April Jackson, and June Daley.
Track and field stars included: the iconic Donald Quarrie and his daughter Tara Quarrie; Grace Jackson-Small; Kathy Rattray; Trinidadian Olympic gold medallist Haseley Crawford; golden girl Veronica Campbell-Brown; Aleen Bailey; Maurice Wignall; Deloreen Ennis-London; Usain Bolt; Lacena Golding-Clarke; American sprinter Tyson Gay; plus several others.
