So much has been published and carried about Jamaica since August 15, 2008, that it is almost unbelievable the value of the exposure this small country has gotten during this time.
I heard BBC Journalist on radio saying “Jamaica gets so much bad press that the last few days have just been so much great news. And there are so many angles to tell these stories from.” I think that is an endorsement from the BBC and we should build on that.
I cannot overemphasize how well our 51-member team to the Olympics in Beijing, has kept Jamaica in a positive light and what a momentum it has created, way past the nine-day wonders we have become accustomed you.
I am going out on a limb this time around to say this time around, things will be different. Let us be mindful that while we are getting great press, there is always a way for international media to twist and turn the stories to suit their own needs. For example, I saw a headline recently “From Pauper to Sprint King” now how untrue is that? If my information is right, the Bolts were never paupers, and now they are not. But there is always someone, somewhere who wants to denigrate. I beg us to tell our own story and tell it with pride.
Please print, carry on radio and TV, and produce documentaries, features and even full length movies as part of the legacy of our programme. The MVP story, even with all the current grouses, would still be good material for a feature…truth be told!
SPORT POLICY ON THE WAY
Within a few months Jamaica will have a draft sport policy to discuss with all major stakeholders. As a credit to Jamaica, The UNESCO International Roundtable Congress on Sport for Peace and Development was just was hosted in Jamaica over two days and from the discussions to take place, the country will have a document to guide how physical education and sport is managed for economic, political and social development.
As we celebrate though, let us be serious about our commitment in sustaining programmes and activities geared at success at the highest level for sport, but we must be decisive. The policy will help as we will have guidelines by which to operate.
Jamaica’s 60 year history is more than sufficient for us to pay attention to sustaining another strong 60 years and more in sport for this country.
Yes we can! Yes we should!
PROTOCOL
Hosting a welcome home reception for one of the world’s most popular track and field athlete is like hosting a major sporting event. This means that all the necessary plans must be in place to ensure smooth running.
Protocol must be observed as for this activity you would be dealing with a variety of persons, including National Officials, Family, Officials of the particular sport, officials of the sporting fraternity and the exuberant fans.
As we prepare for a round of celebrations to last over an extended period, let’s plan, rehearse, assimilate for rain or shine and hope for a perfect implementation.
Invitations must be sent out early and the necessary follow up done so seating or placement of people by status be done correctly.
Our athletes deserve it!
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Major Events and Protocol
So now we are becoming a regular destination for hosting major sporting events and ever so often, we need to be reminded of the rules which should guide us in how protocol is to be observed.
Here are some areas we should pay keen attention to:
-seating plans
- precedence of persons
- invitations
- speeches
- flags
Let's take our National Stadium, for example. The Royal Box can seat 87 persons in permanent seats and an additional 14 can be added. The additional seats are to seat the president of the sporting federation, heads of government and the specially invited guests of the host.
Special care must be made when seating persons who speak a foreign language, space should be made for a translator; and if there are couples involved, it is customary to separate them, unless they are the hosts. These seating arrangements are also relevant for seating at a dinner table.
Examples
Precedence of persons includes official titles and how they are to be used appropriately by the public address announcer. A clear example is the governor general. He is to be announced as His Excellency the Most Honourable Professor Sir Kenneth Hall and in the case of the prime minister, the Honourable Bruce Golding.
Invitations should be sent at least 14 days in advance of the event and should bear directions to the venue, parking information, allotment of tickets, number of seats to be occupied and dress code. In addition, the RSVP is to be used so the organisers can know the response to the invitations and if allowed, how many guests will attend.
Long speeches have no place at a major sporting event; however, when mentioning dignitaries, they should be mentioned in descending hierarchical order.
Finally, flags are symbolic of a country's honour. The colours on the flags are significant as there is generally a story. The Jamaican flag has black, green and gold which refer to the people, land and sunshine. When there are two flags, one is to be placed to the left of the audience and the other flag on the right.
This is just one element of event hosting that should be placed as high priority, so I thought I would mention protocol first; however, there is so much more to talk about.
Here are some areas we should pay keen attention to:
-seating plans
- precedence of persons
- invitations
- speeches
- flags
Let's take our National Stadium, for example. The Royal Box can seat 87 persons in permanent seats and an additional 14 can be added. The additional seats are to seat the president of the sporting federation, heads of government and the specially invited guests of the host.
Special care must be made when seating persons who speak a foreign language, space should be made for a translator; and if there are couples involved, it is customary to separate them, unless they are the hosts. These seating arrangements are also relevant for seating at a dinner table.
Examples
Precedence of persons includes official titles and how they are to be used appropriately by the public address announcer. A clear example is the governor general. He is to be announced as His Excellency the Most Honourable Professor Sir Kenneth Hall and in the case of the prime minister, the Honourable Bruce Golding.
Invitations should be sent at least 14 days in advance of the event and should bear directions to the venue, parking information, allotment of tickets, number of seats to be occupied and dress code. In addition, the RSVP is to be used so the organisers can know the response to the invitations and if allowed, how many guests will attend.
Long speeches have no place at a major sporting event; however, when mentioning dignitaries, they should be mentioned in descending hierarchical order.
Finally, flags are symbolic of a country's honour. The colours on the flags are significant as there is generally a story. The Jamaican flag has black, green and gold which refer to the people, land and sunshine. When there are two flags, one is to be placed to the left of the audience and the other flag on the right.
This is just one element of event hosting that should be placed as high priority, so I thought I would mention protocol first; however, there is so much more to talk about.
Sunday, August 31, 2008
Jamaica - Sport Policy Needed NOW
Jamaica has so much to gain from its recent superb performance at the Summer Olympic Games that it should pull out all the stops to complete the Sport Policy to help to guide the country's Sport Development Process. The process should include
improving the quality of life
using sport as part of a multi-faceted approach to solving complex social issues
building and maintaining sport infrastructure
attracting major events to Jamaica for economic benefits
voluntarism and active citizenship
Michael Hall, former SDF Chairman has supported my call in saying that "we should identify and link the elements of sport development and establish a mechanism that will provide the foundation from which Jamaica full sporting potential can be realised."
The policy should also seek to set out guidelines for the reduction of inequities associated with gender, age and social class. The strategy should also address the issue of funding required to maintain the programmes.
The role of the Sport Development Foundation (SDF), Institute of Sport (INSPORT) and the Social Development Commission (SDC) MUST be enhanced. The efforts must also seek to collaborate with the Ministries of Education and Health
improving the quality of life
using sport as part of a multi-faceted approach to solving complex social issues
building and maintaining sport infrastructure
attracting major events to Jamaica for economic benefits
voluntarism and active citizenship
Michael Hall, former SDF Chairman has supported my call in saying that "we should identify and link the elements of sport development and establish a mechanism that will provide the foundation from which Jamaica full sporting potential can be realised."
The policy should also seek to set out guidelines for the reduction of inequities associated with gender, age and social class. The strategy should also address the issue of funding required to maintain the programmes.
The role of the Sport Development Foundation (SDF), Institute of Sport (INSPORT) and the Social Development Commission (SDC) MUST be enhanced. The efforts must also seek to collaborate with the Ministries of Education and Health
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Politics and Sports
Occasional outbursts from respective governments who feel cheated from international conspiracies are sometimes bothered by the interference of politics on sport. As the Games of the 29th Olympiad go on in Beijing, China there were some tense moments as the games were ready to begin.
Today, there may be little that separate sport and politics, because it is all about who wins. However, after the victory, then what? An athlete celebrates and looks to greater challenges ahead, While in politics, after the victory, there is no more challenge until the next race is about to start. In other words, no real preparation goes on.
As we all look at the Olympic Games in China a former resident of China Kathy Xu is quoted as saying “it’s not just about how fast you can run or how far you can jump,” but I think having [China] hosting the Olympics is the exact opposite of what the Olympics claim to promote.”
She went even further by indicating that the International Olympic Committee has turned a blind eye to how the Chinese support governments of Sudan and Zimbabwe. The question is, would a boycott be good at this time? We reflect quickly on the games in Moscow in 1980 where up to 62 countries stayed away; and in 1984 in Los Angeles where there was another boycott.
Where do we cross the line? Are governments ever going to get it? As consumers we ought to question the silence of the sponsors, who pump billions of dollars into the staging of these games. This may be an indication of their support of the oppression people face. Or do they think the support is strictly to the hosting of the games. Is the IOC going to ever say to a country “because you violate certain basic principles of human life, you are not eligible to host.” Can this happen?
Here is just an example of what has happened in three Olympic Games which were boycotted. In 1980 in Moscow the protest was about the Soviet’s invasion fo Afghanistan. In Los Angeles, security concerns were the main reason and only 14 countries stayed away; while in 1988 in Seoul, North Korea, Cuba and Ethiopia boycotted because of South Korea’s refusal to acknowledge North Korea as co-host.
The question is…could Jamaica have boycotted because they thought that China’s support of Zimbabwe was wrong? Especially when we think that this is the year where the best medal prospects exist?
The impact of the games will always be positive and the question we want to ask ourselves will human rights get better or worse after the Olympic Games? There is no doubt that new friends, contact and networking opportunities will be made and explored and the athletes will benefit. As consumers we also have an opportunity to view exciting and competitive events.
100 metres finals
At the time of writing this column, the 100 metres semi final listing for men was out and I was calling and emailing around to pick the top eight. What I was proud of is, there were three Jamaicans in the top 16 men in 100 metres in the world in 2008.
There were five other men from the Caribbean, making this region representing 50 per cent of the field. Could we use that to market the Caribbean as the greatest destination in the world? Yes we can (to borrow a phrase from the Obama campaign).
How will that end? I am sure we would have all known by now
Today, there may be little that separate sport and politics, because it is all about who wins. However, after the victory, then what? An athlete celebrates and looks to greater challenges ahead, While in politics, after the victory, there is no more challenge until the next race is about to start. In other words, no real preparation goes on.
As we all look at the Olympic Games in China a former resident of China Kathy Xu is quoted as saying “it’s not just about how fast you can run or how far you can jump,” but I think having [China] hosting the Olympics is the exact opposite of what the Olympics claim to promote.”
She went even further by indicating that the International Olympic Committee has turned a blind eye to how the Chinese support governments of Sudan and Zimbabwe. The question is, would a boycott be good at this time? We reflect quickly on the games in Moscow in 1980 where up to 62 countries stayed away; and in 1984 in Los Angeles where there was another boycott.
Where do we cross the line? Are governments ever going to get it? As consumers we ought to question the silence of the sponsors, who pump billions of dollars into the staging of these games. This may be an indication of their support of the oppression people face. Or do they think the support is strictly to the hosting of the games. Is the IOC going to ever say to a country “because you violate certain basic principles of human life, you are not eligible to host.” Can this happen?
Here is just an example of what has happened in three Olympic Games which were boycotted. In 1980 in Moscow the protest was about the Soviet’s invasion fo Afghanistan. In Los Angeles, security concerns were the main reason and only 14 countries stayed away; while in 1988 in Seoul, North Korea, Cuba and Ethiopia boycotted because of South Korea’s refusal to acknowledge North Korea as co-host.
The question is…could Jamaica have boycotted because they thought that China’s support of Zimbabwe was wrong? Especially when we think that this is the year where the best medal prospects exist?
The impact of the games will always be positive and the question we want to ask ourselves will human rights get better or worse after the Olympic Games? There is no doubt that new friends, contact and networking opportunities will be made and explored and the athletes will benefit. As consumers we also have an opportunity to view exciting and competitive events.
100 metres finals
At the time of writing this column, the 100 metres semi final listing for men was out and I was calling and emailing around to pick the top eight. What I was proud of is, there were three Jamaicans in the top 16 men in 100 metres in the world in 2008.
There were five other men from the Caribbean, making this region representing 50 per cent of the field. Could we use that to market the Caribbean as the greatest destination in the world? Yes we can (to borrow a phrase from the Obama campaign).
How will that end? I am sure we would have all known by now
Friday, August 1, 2008
Francis needs to be tamed…
The concept of the MVP Track Club, home of Asafa Powell, Nesta Carter and Sherone Simpson is a welcome addition to the track and field fraternity in Jamaica. The MVP unit has been responsible for producing home-grown talent and the track and field fraternity is better positioned now more than ever.
For too many years, Jamaican athletes got grooming from primarily the American system but just over a decade ago, the country has been able to recognise the value of having physical and technical infrastructure which enables growth and development for the local talent.
So now are not only able to unearth the talent, we are also able to prepare them on our own for international recognition and continued success. We have also added to the list of opportunities for performances by hosting IAAF sanctioned meets that other international stars look forward to competing in.
While we laud head coach, Stephen Francis for his abilities, we are not in support of him maligning the integrity of a system he learnt from. His recent outbursts have been uncalled for and also baseless. I care not about his personal feelings about the personnel in the JAAA or the JOA; but there are standards which we must uphold.
Calling his colleagues “a bunch of high school coaches who do not know what they are doing” is out of order. Considering his early days in coaching was spent learning at the feet of Glen Mills. Mills has had success under his belt for some three decades, being responsible for athletes like Donald Quarrie, Raymond Stewart, Kim Collins, Carey Johnson, Garfield Campbell and now Usain Bolt. If I were to be bold and I will, while Aleen Bailey was with coach Mills, she has her better days.
Francis must and should show respect for his country and the system, and if he has suggestions for their improvement, put them in perspective and put the recommendations where they belong; not in the media.
Jamaica is now in the spotlight, not Stephen Francis and he must be brought to abide by the rules as set by governing bodies. The rules cannot be different for one set of athletes from the other. This would be a recipe for disaster.
Let us not be distracted from the task at hand and go after the best performance we could muster up for the 2008 Summer Olympic Games. Deal with the issues after and fix them appropriately.
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Sport Tourism and Agriculture
Much has been said about the athletic prowess of Jamaicans. I could go down a list of things people have surmised about:
1. the weather
2. the water
3. the hills
…but I am here to propose that there is a direct correlation between the talent and the food…yes the food. I know you are all wondering where I am going with this.
Let’s take a serious look at where SOME of our top performing athletes are from and analyse the agricultural strength of those areas.
Jackie Pusey, Beverley McDonald are all from St. Mary; Pablo McNeill, Veronica Campbell Brown, Michael Green, Usain Bolt are all from Trelawny; we have seen what the Christiana area has produced over the last ten years in the Holmwood camp and we have a few scattered over the island.
St. Mary is the home of the best grown bananas…high in potassium and its importance to the diet is, it helps to reduce the risk of hypertension and kidney diseases. Well, what can I say about Trelawny, home of the greatest tasting yam in the world. Yam can be used to make wine, bun, cake, pudding and punch.
Let me declare that I have no scientific evidence of this correlation, however, what I can tell you is Professor Errol Morrison and Dr. Henry Lowe are working on something and I am sure they are eager to tell the world.
The Benefits
My thoughts may be trivial to some of you…but in light of creative tourism marketing we can make this an attraction. People all over the world, want to be Jamaican. They want to be a Jamaican who can run, play football, sing and dance. If for any reason they think that it is because of the food, they will come here to have the experience.
Like everything else though, it must be packaged. The organisers of the Trelawny Yam Festival may want to have home boy Usain endorse the festival with words like: Hi, I am Usain, Jamaican track and field star. I was born and raised in Trelawny and my diet must include Yam. If you want to run as fast as I can……”
Remember Jimmy Adams and Serge Island Milk? We must find creative ways and means to get more visitors to our island and if we believe our own stories, then others will hear it and believe it too.
Next Steps
If we think there is a method to our talent in sport and there is definitely a connection to be made we should make all the necessary plans to get that research going. I therefore call on the Universities of the West Indies and Technology to get the research going, so maybe in our lifetime we can know the true story.
I know my storytellers are just waiting to start writing and my filmmakers to start filming. There is a story to tell, and we need to tell it ourselves.
For all the promoters of food festivals, when you sit in your next set of planning meetings, invite one of our local scientists…you may never know what can turn up.
I want to hear from you on this one.
P.S. We can now start doing research on cassava
1. the weather
2. the water
3. the hills
…but I am here to propose that there is a direct correlation between the talent and the food…yes the food. I know you are all wondering where I am going with this.
Let’s take a serious look at where SOME of our top performing athletes are from and analyse the agricultural strength of those areas.
Jackie Pusey, Beverley McDonald are all from St. Mary; Pablo McNeill, Veronica Campbell Brown, Michael Green, Usain Bolt are all from Trelawny; we have seen what the Christiana area has produced over the last ten years in the Holmwood camp and we have a few scattered over the island.
St. Mary is the home of the best grown bananas…high in potassium and its importance to the diet is, it helps to reduce the risk of hypertension and kidney diseases. Well, what can I say about Trelawny, home of the greatest tasting yam in the world. Yam can be used to make wine, bun, cake, pudding and punch.
Let me declare that I have no scientific evidence of this correlation, however, what I can tell you is Professor Errol Morrison and Dr. Henry Lowe are working on something and I am sure they are eager to tell the world.
The Benefits
My thoughts may be trivial to some of you…but in light of creative tourism marketing we can make this an attraction. People all over the world, want to be Jamaican. They want to be a Jamaican who can run, play football, sing and dance. If for any reason they think that it is because of the food, they will come here to have the experience.
Like everything else though, it must be packaged. The organisers of the Trelawny Yam Festival may want to have home boy Usain endorse the festival with words like: Hi, I am Usain, Jamaican track and field star. I was born and raised in Trelawny and my diet must include Yam. If you want to run as fast as I can……”
Remember Jimmy Adams and Serge Island Milk? We must find creative ways and means to get more visitors to our island and if we believe our own stories, then others will hear it and believe it too.
Next Steps
If we think there is a method to our talent in sport and there is definitely a connection to be made we should make all the necessary plans to get that research going. I therefore call on the Universities of the West Indies and Technology to get the research going, so maybe in our lifetime we can know the true story.
I know my storytellers are just waiting to start writing and my filmmakers to start filming. There is a story to tell, and we need to tell it ourselves.
For all the promoters of food festivals, when you sit in your next set of planning meetings, invite one of our local scientists…you may never know what can turn up.
I want to hear from you on this one.
P.S. We can now start doing research on cassava
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Special Events for Sport Tourism
Summer is here. It is an Olympic year. It is also the year when so many other major sporting events are on around the world. Some of these events are way too costly for the ordinary person, while some are more affordable. Thanks to television most of us can view even excerpts live and delayed.
At the recent Commonwealth Conference on Sport Tourism, the Director General, Commonwealth Tourism Centre, Malaysia, Abdul Rahman Shaari was quoted as saying “more and more countries are designing special events to attract tourists to their respective countries. The conference which was held in May 2008 is also reporting that the over 50 Commonwealth countries offer an eclectic blend of tourism environments, attractions, histories, interests, expectations and experiences.
Jamaica is part of that group, which has been offering and will continue to offer a unique experience. But as always, more can and should be done to attract greater numbers to the island.
I have mentioned some of the very special events we have throughout the year…the Gibson Relays, Boys and Girls Championships, May Invitational are just some of the calendar events and we need more. You would notice those events are track and field. There needs to a wider variety.
I suggest we create a sporting (special) event around the time we have the Air Jamaica Jazz and Blues, so patrons can find something to do during the day. How about a rock climbing (made for TV) competition? How about a Cockpit Country Challenge? The Jamaica National Heritage Trust (JHNT) could create a trail with proper signs, so it serves as a competition and also as a history lesson. These events could be packaged and sold to high-profile television networks which have these types of events in their programme schedules.
Even for Reggae Sumfest, we could design an extreme sport contest to appeal to the age-group which will more than likely attend the one-week event. Plus if MTV has an additional reason to be here in Jamaica, then why not? I think we need to seriously explore those possibilities.
The sustainability of the sport tourism product has to be guided by policy and programmes aimed at generating revenue, exposure and job opportunities. The design and implementation elements of the programme have to bear those things in mind.
Special events are not just for the moment, but instead developers of these events have a role in attracting those who
1. travel to play
2. travel to watch
3. travel to learn
Jamaica has so much to offer to all those groups. Yes we can!
Well done JAAA
If you were lucky to be at the National Stadium in Kingston between June 27 and 29, you would have witnessed one of the most exciting national track and field championships anywhere in the world. The JAAA should be commended for a great effort in organising a great event. Now the 52 athletes who have been selected are in the spotlight between August 8 and 24 in Beijing. We all look forward!
An event to witness close to the end of July…the showdown between Tyson Gay (9.68 seconds with a 4.1 m/s wind) versus Asafa Powell (9.74 seconds). Even without Bolt in the mix it is going to be a cracker. If you are close to Crystal Palace, London, you should go.
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