How about an Indoor Winter Sport Center in Jamaica?

[Jangle]

In politics and international affairs, countries sign bilateral agreements of mutual benefits. Each country has something that the other one wants. The list of resources that Jamaica has to offer is long and varied with our people and our resourcefulness being near the very top of that list. One of our biggest and most valuable resource that remains untapped is our sports men and women. Despite our many achievements locally and internationally in business and academia, we have not yet figured out how to capitalize and monetize, to benefit of ourselves and our economy, these many sporting achievements.

Successive governments continue to see sports in Jamaica as a hobby and refuse to seriously invest in sports programs and infrastructures. Prime Ministers and other politicians jump at the chance to pose in pictures and ride the wave of euphoria every time one of our athletes overcome the odds and succeed at the international level without giving a thought to the miniscule level of contribution that the government has in their success. Usain Bolt is the only Jamaican athlete that has been able to successfully convert his international achievements into financial success, while the Jamaican government rides his coattail and collect the scraps. The talk of building a sports museum in Jamaica has been going on for decades now. Come to think about it, so has the debate over legalizing Ganja.

With the impending signing of the bilateral agreement between Jamaica and China to build the Logistic Hub, the GOJ should seek to get the Chinese to build a Sporting Center in Jamaica. The Chinese are experts and world beaters in many sports, that the average Jamaican athlete can also excel at. Swimming, diving, synchronized swimming, gymnastics, table tennis are just a few of the sports where the Chinese excel at and which can be taught to us to become world beaters also. Then there are the winter sports. I have been watching some of these sports at the Winter Olympics and I am of the opinion that there are many events where Jamaicans can excel at. Some of these sports do not require snow; figure skating, speed skating (we have the very best sprinters in the world), ice hockey, curling and other indoor sports. It would require us having such an indoor facility which could be built by the Chinese. This building could have the same impact on our sporting development and on our economy similar to the Cuban gift of the GC Foster College.

The question was asked, why should the GOJ or Corporate Jamaica "waste" their money sponsoring such events when there are other sports that are in dire need. My answer to that is, it will always be seen as a waste by people who lack vision. It will also be a waste if we don't have things in place to maximize the exposure that we get from our successes. Before Burrell took over the JFF, the thought of Jamaica competing against Argentina in a world cup match, being viewed by millions, was never even imagined by many Jamaicans. Before the Beijing Olympics, the thought of Jamaica's complete domination of the sprints was never imagined by many Jamaicans. Who would have thought that Jamaica would have won the gold and two silver medals in the same race? Who would have thought that a Jamaican would not just annihilate the men's 100m world record, but to do it in such a fashion? The eyes of the world were turned on Jamaica from these achievements. Generations of the Jamaican annual budget could not pay for all the positive international media coverage that we got from these successes.

Can you imagine all the noise if our bobsledders were to win a medal?

[Jangle]

//b,v,v

[Jangle]

Sporting gem in Treasure Beach

Published: Sunday | February 16, 2014 0 Comments


Business partners Cubie Seegobin (left) and Jason Henzell.



The football and cricket fields at Breds Treasure Beach Sports Park.-Contributed




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Andre Lowe

Located on Jamaica's southern coast, community tourism haven Treasure Beach has built a solid reputation for being one of the island's unspoiled escapes.But there is so much more happening there.
"Our goal is to become the leading community-based sports park and academy in the Caribbean by 2015."
Jason Henzell's vision for his brainchild, the Breds Treasure Beach Sports Park, seemed a little too optimistic, as we made our way past the signpost and down a long, narrow [COLOR=blue !important][COLOR=blue !important]dirt [COLOR=blue !important]road[/COLOR][/COLOR][/COLOR] flanked by cow-grazing lands.
However, as the less-than-modest entry opened up to a well-conceived spread of sporting and lifestyle offerings, the concept became clear; Treasure Beach, it seemed, has found its true gem.
Henzell, of Jake's Hotel fame - a cheerful, rainbow-coloured boutique getaway, has been somewhat of a pioneer where community tourism is concerned. What he is hoping to achieve with this sports park, is a similar level of local engagement, interwoven with top-class facilities and instructors.
sports development
The aim, to create an environment that caters to the holistic fusion of sports and wellness as a conduit for sports development and a catalyst for community-based [COLOR=blue !important][COLOR=blue !important]sports [COLOR=blue !important]tourism[/COLOR][/COLOR][/COLOR] - an aspect that is well under way with several English County teams, fitness enthusiasts from all over the world, football coaches from Ajax and Valencia, as well as tennis stars Venus and Serena Williams already utilising the venue.
Bordered by farm-ready lands with a gently sloped hill forming a postcard backdrop, the space has grown tremendously since former member of parliament, the late Donald Buchanan, leased the property to Breds, with the 21-acre venue now featuring one of the best cricket ovals in the country, three football fields, the General Colin Powell Challenge Course, the Gatorade Fitness Trail, the Wray & Nephew Pavilion, kids' play area, tennis, netball and basketball courts, as well as bathroom and changing facilities.
It doesn't stop there, with work currently taking place on a US$75,000 400-metre all-grass athletics track, the contribution of noted athletics manager Cubie Seegobin, who purchased an adjoining two acres of land and handed it over to Breds.
Ground will also soon be broken on a 9,600-square foot, $38-million conference centre, fitted with a commercial kitchen and emergency room/clinic, with plans also afoot to develop a meditation/yoga area around an existing on-property pond in addition to a running trail.
"What we really wanted to do was create a community-based sports park and academy with professional facilities, professional coaches so that we could give kids at the grass-roots level an opportunity for greatness," said Henzell, while making a note of one of [COLOR=blue !important][COLOR=blue !important]the [COLOR=blue !important]park's[/COLOR][/COLOR][/COLOR] cricket academy participant, Marquino Mindley, who is currently with the West Indies at the Under-19 World Cup in Dubai.
"We are linked with all the primary schools in the region, we have a programme called Edusport where we provide a sports and education programme to 11 primary schools and that is done through the United Nations International Emergency Children's Fund (UNICEF) and caters for 1,500 kids per week. That is more about playing and having fun, gender equality, child protection and the more talented kids will come up in the academy structure where they will get more sports-specific training," Henzell added.
Meanwhile, Seegobin, who manages star Jamaican sprinters Yohan Blake and Warren Weir, shared his chance meeting with Henzell at London's Gatwick Airport. A get-together that led to him visiting the facility, falling in love with the project and spending US$45,000 ($4.8 million) to purchase additional land to facilitate the addition of a running track.
"I just want to build the best athletic facility here at this level, we have the space to build. I want to put in a running trail and that is my commitment personally and financially," said Seegobin, who is hoping that an all-weather track can be added later on.
"As long as I am managing athletes they will be committed to this and indirectly it's a part of Warren (Weir) and Yohan's (Blake) commitment as well," added Seegobin, a man who Henzell described as the perfect partner for the ongoing project.
"The experience he (Seegobin) brings is tremendous and the support by contributing money to buy two acres of adjoining land for track and field is going to give the complex a massive boost," Henzell offered.
"This park is going to transform this community and what better way to do it than through sports, health, and fitness."
It's still a work in progress, but Henzell's sporting treasure is expected to also help the region's economy, with US$7 million in new revenue projected over the next five years through the expected creation of new hotel rooms to satisfy its traffic.
andre.lowe@gleanerjm.com

[Historian]

LOL

There is so much that some of us posters here need to know about regional developments. Trust me, even if Jamaica decides today to take sports tourism seriously, we will still have some catching up to do with at least one other regional country.

Sporting Gem? We missed the boat from a long time ago! In fact, I can recall TDowl and I discussing this sports tourism factor on the track and field forum next door. This was immediately after the 2004 Athens Olympic Games.

But in the meantime, we continue murdering our youngsters and young adults, some of whom could have been potential world beaters. Oh, well...., I guess I should end on a positive note, so....Welcome to Jamdown!

[Jangle]

Sporting Gem? We missed the boat from a long time ago! In fact, I can recall TDowl and I discussing this sports tourism factor on the track and field forum next door. This was immediately after the 2004 Athens Olympic Games.

But in the meantime, we continue murdering our youngsters and young adults, some of whom could have been potential world beaters. Oh, well...., I guess I should end on a positive note, so....Welcome to Jamdown!

So your answer is to forgo these non-traditional sports and focus on the little few that we excel at that only the exceptional few will ever get a chance to make it big? What inspired those original Jamaican bobsledders to even think that they could/should take up the sport? The idea was ludicrous to begin with yet here we are today, 6 times to the Winter Olympics and a hit Hollywood movie later. We don't need to waste the little money we have on Alia Atkinson. After all swimming is not a huge sport in Jamaica. Ghetto children don't have access to swimming pool. As a matter of fact, Jamaica wasted money in sending Samantha Albert and Kenneth Edwards to the last Summer Olympics. Their spots could have been filled with at least 3 or 4 more runners.

Here's a thought, veteran athletes like Aileen Bailey, Bridgette Foster-Hylton, Deloreen Ellis and many more could extend their sporting careers and continue to earn a living if Jamaica had say......a women's bobsled team (what ludicrous but novel idea). Did you know that Jamaica has a surfing team? We only put limits on ourselves.

[Historian]

Sorry, I wasn’t thinking….

First of all, only “the exceptional few” (your phrase) make it big in ANY sport, whether traditional or non-traditional, boss!

So, continuing my response to your comment, ghetto children have access to the climatic conditions that foster Winter Olympic standouts? Also, I forgot that it is no longer legal to build swimming pools anywhere in Jamaica.

The fact is, we NEED to spend more money on developing a huge sport like swimming, and others like volleyball, etc.!

Although I am aware of Lauryn William’s surprising accomplishment, I’m not going to comment on your suggestion about Aleen, Brigitte and Deloreen.

So your answer is to forgo these non-traditional sports and focus on the little few that we excel at that only the exceptional few will ever get a chance to make it big? What inspired those original Jamaican bobsledders to even think that they could/should take up the sport? The idea was ludicrous to begin with yet here we are today, 6 times to the Winter Olympics and a hit Hollywood movie later. We don't need to waste the little money we have on Alia Atkinson. After all swimming is not a huge sport in Jamaica. Ghetto children don't have access to swimming pool. As a matter of fact, Jamaica wasted money in sending Samantha Albert and Kenneth Edwards to the last Summer Olympics. Their spots could have been filled with at least 3 or 4 more runners.

Here's a thought, veteran athletes like Aileen Bailey, Bridgette Foster-Hylton, Deloreen Ellis and many more could extend their sporting careers and continue to earn a living if Jamaica had say......a women's bobsled team (what ludicrous but novel idea). Did you know that Jamaica has a surfing team? We only put limits on ourselves.

[Islandman]

A lot is possible with the sports as an industry. What is required for success though is an understanding of and expertise in the BUSINESS of sports.

Without that we could build a dozen more facilities and they will all end up like Trelawny greenfield, goats grazing, nothing happening, taxpayer and grant money wasted.

It is quite a number of underutilized facilities in JA already, from conference centers to stadiums to factory space. You really want to build more when we haven't shown that we can find use for the ones we already have?

If we are going to build something I agree with Historian that it should start with sports that we already have some history in. Volleyball, hockey, swimming. At least those will get SOME use, unless of course they are built in some remote place like Christiana.

[Assasin]

Jangle, the first thing it takes is leadership and vision. As you talk about Burrell, one thing you can't say he is short on and that was his vision. He has an ego and is one track but you know what are his goals.

I say this because to do these things you need vision and be steadfast in leadership. Something we are lacking in too many areas. Look at the two Chinese build facilities and the one that Petro Caribe sponsored. If Officals from those countries visited it, you think they would build anymore???

We build a stadium for world cup cricket tournament and one for goats. Where was the vision???? As for football, we shouldn't be talking about building another stadium until we can get people in the stadium and watching national league and others. It seems sad on the amount of people going to these games and it seems worst in the last few years.

I say this because any such center will need support from sponsors, public and government and that is where the problem lies, Not getting support from any. It is nice to wake up to one Bobsled run and feel good but if we can't keep a stadium running that using a little electricity, compared to a center that electric to run a icemaking plant 24/7?

[Jangle]

I agree with you 100%. The original post was done to start a conversation about our potential in competing at the highest level in alternative sports.

[Islandman]

I certainly think we can compete and I don't take the view that it is a waste of time if we approach it as simply another avenue of opportunity. Would prefer it to be privately funded though.

You are also totally on point about having the required vision. Is nuff people did say Jamaica qualifying for World Cup was a big joke when Simoes came.

[Jangle]

With the advent of Social media and "Rum bar" forums like this, many "novel" ideas are borne out of innocuous posts like these. I saw a post on FB about Asafa Powell trying out for the Jamaica Bobsled team and given his problems at performing at major meets, this could be ideal for him.

[Jangle]

JAMAICA'S Tia Simms-Lymn won silver at the 2014 Wratislava Challenge, the largest and most prestigious Under-15 fencing championship in the world with over 2,000 fencers to the city of Wroclaw in Poland.

"They are paving the road to Rio and we are very optimistic that it will be lined with gold."

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/sport...lenge_16386116


What a ridiculous idea and a colossal waste of money to even imagine sending a Jamaican fencing team to the Olympics. The ongly thing Jamaicans know about fencing is zinc fence and how fi jump fence. Waste a money dis!!!!

[Mosiah]

Yuh too evil!

[Jangle]

First of all, only “the exceptional few” (your phrase) make it big in ANY sport, whether traditional or non-traditional, boss!

So, continuing my response to your comment, ghetto children have access to the climatic conditions that foster Winter Olympic standouts? Also, I forgot that it is no longer legal to build swimming pools anywhere in Jamaica.

The fact is, we NEED to spend more money on developing a huge sport like swimming, and others like volleyball, etc.!

Although I am aware of Lauryn William’s surprising accomplishment, I’m not going to comment on your suggestion about Aleen, Brigitte and Deloreen.

"We need to have a paradigm shift and get things kicking in high gear early," said Devon Harris, a federation member who was also a member of the original team in Calgary in 1988, that inspired a movie and the creation of a legacy. "We backed into the Sochi Olympics, but this time we want to have a well-prepared team and, hopefully, a female team as well."

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/2...s/sports4.html

Jamaicans know how fi waste money and shatter our youths dreams eeh. We would be better off spending the little sponsorship money honing our up-and-coming young athletes to continue our sprint dominance. Me tired of seeing these far-fetched fantasies of us participating in these non-traditional, climatically-challenged sports.

[Jangle]

Already, Jamaica is creating waves on the international scene. Tia Simms-
Historian, can you tell me why this man persist on wasting money and time on this far-fetched non-traditional sport?


Lymn, a Junior residing in the UK, continues to outclass her peers as she recently won her seventh national championships and her fourth consecutive British Youth Epee Championships. This she achieved after winning silver at the 2014 Wratislava Challenge in Poland.
http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/sport/On-guard-_16866565