A government grant valued at $3.6 million has been given to the Jamaica Amateur Athletic Association (JAAA) to help the national team prepare for the August 15-23 IAAF World Athletic Championships in Berlin, Germany.

Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture, Olivia Grange, said the money, which will be disbursed through the Sports Development Foundation, demonstrated the Govern-ment's continuing commit-ment to Jamaican athletes and their development.

"The grant will be used for medical expenses for the athletes. It will be used for supplements, for coaches' fees, for training facilities, for local transport to and from meets, and in some cases housing allowances.

Keen competition

"There will be keen competition in Berlin. It will be of a high technical quality, but our athletes are talented, they train hard, they are well prepared. I believe in their abilities. I know they will make us proud, " the sports minister said.

In a release yesterday, Minister Grange revealed that the Government had spent in excess of $40 million this year on track and field development. The money was spent on develop-mental meets, the monthly subvention to the Jamaica Amateur Athletic Association from the Sports Develop-ment Foundation, the Jamaica International Invitational meet and athlete welfare programmes.

Minister Grange said with support, Jamaica will have the strongest team in Berlin and a whole new generation of Jamaicans would grow up knowing that they can be the best in the world. She also urged support for the National Championships this weekend at the National Stadium.