Jamaica and 100 metres MEN

Did you know that Jamaican men have led the Commonwealth and the World in 100 metres titles since 2006?



2006 - Asafa Powell - Commonwealth Games

2007 - Dexter Lee - World Youth Championship

2008 - Dexter Lee - World Junior Championship

2008 - Usain Bolt - Summer Olympic Games

2009 - Usain Bolt - World Championship

2010 - Dexter Lee - World Junior Championship

2010 - Odean Skeen - World Youth Olympic Games (Inaugural)

2011 - ???



Well done



Thanks to Paul Reid who supplied this information

Time to WALK in Falmouth

I will support the move by the Urban Development Corporation (UDC) to 'pedestrianise' the town of Falmouth only if they can show that the town's businesses will flourish because of that adjustment.

Falmouth and by extension the parish of Trelawny will be opening its doors to new business opportunities within the next year as a new pier is being built and large cruise lines are expected to come to those shores.

What are the benefits?
1. a cleaner space
2. opportunity for a unique shopping experience
3. operators of the businesses to take better care of their facilities
4. better use of the spaces which were originally created for cultural and social interaction
5. greater awareness of the rich history of the town of Falmouth (our heritage has taken a battering that side)
6. better access to the market

What should therefore happen

1. Alternative, safe (PAID) parking facilities (great way to raise money for maintenance and hiring of staff)
2. Proper signage so people know how to use the town
3. Dialogue with the key stakeholders so all are on the same page

Several opportunities will arise and proper planning has to start NOW, if it has not started yet. The satkeholders are well known and the local authorities along with key lead agencies MUST now begin to act.

If the projections for Falmouth are any way close to what is suggested, then we are already behind in planning, but we have a short window of opportunity to get this right.

Falmouth is waiting to 'buss' out

Sport Services Export

There has been a strong and growing demand for services across economies for decades, but more and more reports from international agencies are pointing us towards a world service economy. Traditional services have grown exponentially; which has created an opportunity for new services boosting job creation and becoming a major contributor to foreign exchange earnings.

The tourism industry has a range of services available, from the basic bed and breakfast, all inclusive properties, and time share, to name a few; while the wedding services, events management are becoming increasingly popular.

The Caribbean has undergone some studies and what has been clear is there is a plethora of services available. The sport services are to be included as part of this package. This includes access to production, music, fashion, photography, film, writing, music, library studio services as part of an overall suite.

My Caribbean colleague, Peter Adrien, in his book on his book on Sport Tourism has posited that golf, water sports and cricket offer the greatest opportunities in the region.

Golf for example, as identified by a Sport Marketing Survey (2003) says there are 61.1 million golfers worldwide with 37.1 million in the USA; 13.6 million in Asia. Now when you look at the travel patterns of tourists from those regions it means the Caribbean can coordinate programmes to attract much more tourists from those regions. If the services are available to package the sport, destination and the support, then a product of sport and service is available.

There are some statistics we have that we can use to our benefit. Two of every five US adult tourist are sport travelers; most event travelers are spectators and tourists who travel for sporting events, will normally return for a leisure trip.

What then does the Caribbean need to do? Organise more golf tournaments. Integrate the sport and the entertainment elements and talk to major networks across the world to broadcast to a discerning audience. While Tiger Woods has been incredible for the golf world, there is now a need to find his successor and if we are able to have that discovery, facilitated in the Caribbean, what a wonderful opportunity that would be.

The region boasts some of the most fascinating golf courses this side of the world from Anguilla to St. Lucia. Jamaica and Barbados are suggested to have the best courses, so a partnership would also not be out of the question. In Jamaica Tryall and Half Moon are stand outs; while in Barbados, Sandy Lane and Royal Westmoreland are superior.

As part of the service offering, we look for practice facilities, clinics, professional training session, gym facilities and spa areas for relaxation. Housing developers are also in the mix to provide high-end and sophisticated homes for sale/long term leasing.

The Caribbean is destined for a place on the golf world map, and joint marketing may be the solution to get the world to come to the region for golf. We should plan a tri state championship, for example in Barbados, Jamaica and Antigua and invite Golf TV, ESPN and other networks across the globe to be a part. We could even be the place for the re-emergence of the Tiger. Fore!!!

SPORT and ENTERTAINMENT

If there is ever a time the Jamaica sport and entertainment industries should combine efforts to maximize their earning potential it is now. Both industries have tremendous potential in the Jamaican context to do the following

- Attract far more visitors to the island by hosting major events
- Creating a more formal approach to the sectors
- Package both industries to have greater impact on the world market
- Create more job opportunities for the people of Jamaica
- Create even more opportunities for networking and partnerships with corporations and countries with similar interests

As the country’s athletes prepare for some major events across the world there are opportunities for both industries to refocus their attention to get into those markets.

So for next year, the export sector should prepare manufacturers and other business persons to go after Korea - 2011 World Athletics Championship; London – 2012 Summer Olympics; Brazil - 2014 World Cup Football. These are just a few of the regions which could create opportunities for growth in both sectors.

Jamaica’s Brand image is highlighted by the positive publicity both entertainment and sport offer to the country and while the world marvels at the performances of our athletes and artistes; more should be done to ensure that the economic prospects are created and maximized.

The national export strategy which seeks to champion the major export categories, should as part of its outreach, look for opportunities in those non-traditional areas.

Role of policy makers

The value of the entertainment and sport sectors has not been able to show tangible figures and because of that, there has been doubt in some quarters that the value is emotional. While both are seen as unifying forces on the social agenda, it is time to formalize the system to ensure that this value is measured and the figures be reported to see its contribution to Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

Some preliminary figures from the Jamaica Tourist Board (1998 – 2004) indicated that close to three per cent of visitor arrivals during that period, came for sport,; does it then follow that the spend of the sport tourist is comparable to the typical tourist and would virtually contribute three per cent to GDP? That would be an interesting discovery of the necessary tools is developed to capture that figure.

Countries who have been successful in measuring the value of sport/entertainment to their economies have worked with the research and development agencies to look at trends, travel practices and even events which would attract high end visitors for the specific events.

There is room for the Planning Institute of Jamaica, Universities of West Indies and Technology and the Ministries with responsibility for Sport, Tourism and Entertainment to consider this; which may very well form a significant chunk of the Tourism Master Plan for the country for the next ten to 15 years. That would present an incredible opportunity. The results could vary, but the effort is worth a try.
Note: The Trelawny Multi Purpose Stadium was a great alternative to house the 2010 Jamaica Jazz and Blues festival. I surely think it worked. What say you?

Maurice Greene in Jamaica

KINGSTON, January 14
“If you think track and field was hard, try Dancing with the Stars,” said Maurice Greene, five time world champion and two time Olympic gold medalist. Greene got to the quarter final round while spending eight weeks in the ABC show.

Greene however, sat with journalists on Thursday in Kingston at a pre-lunch session and shared some of his opinions about the status of track and field. “Usain Bolt will probably go down as the ultimate sprinter and once he decides to run the 400 metres, he will definitely shatter that record,” said Greene. In commending Bolt, Greene noted that as Bolt body changes into more adult form, he could go even faster. He also observed that there are still some technical flaws with Bolt and if corrected, the sky is the limit.

Greene’s fastest time is 9.79 seconds over the 100 metres, is sure that the time will go even lower. He contends that the top three athletes remain Bolt, Tyson Gay and Asafa Powell; but thinks the US need a stronger personality to help to sell the sport in the USA. “Tyson is a little bit too quiet, but he has surpassed a lot of expectations.” Greene noted that the sport is suffering from a lack of visibility and needs to be shown more on television.

Greene is in Jamaica as a special guest of the organizing committee of the Douglas Forrest Invitational meet, scheduled for Saturday, January 16 at the National Stadium. The meet starts at 8:30.
Bahamian, Tonique Williams Darling will also be a special guest at the event.

Gatlin will not have it easy

KINGSTON, January 14

USA embattled athelte, Justin Gatlin who plans to return to the track this July "will find it difficult to get back on track when he competes this year," says Maurice Greene.

"What he left in track has changed and so he may want to consider his options. The sport has changed so much in the last four years. I wish him the best of luck," noted Greene

Gatlin who served a four year ban for testing for a positive substance has issued a warning to the top three sprinters in the 100 and 200 metres sprint saying he wants to reclaim his position at the top. Gatlin's best time in the 100 metres is 9.85 seconds.

Greene sat in with journalists on Thursday in Kignston and spoke openly about the status and future of the sport. On Asafa Powell, Greene insisted "Asafa can only get it right if he gets mentally tough." He commended Asafa for his technique, noting that he comes the closest to running a perfectly technical 100 metres.

He also thinks his countrywoman Carmelita Jeter, has a mental flaw and needs to develop that area to win gold in a major championship.

On the future of USA dominance in sprint, Greene thinks it will take some five to six years for the USA to return to glory, citing Jamaica as the 'leader' in sprinting in the world.

He argues that the USA/Jamaica clash could only benefit the sport, although admitting that the Jamaicans are already beating the USA and the rest of the world.

Greene is in Jamaica along with Bahamian Olympian, Tonique Williams Darling as guests of the organisers of the Douglas Forrest Invitational, scheduled for the National Stadium this Saturday.

Greene and Darling (who arrived on Thursday evening) also attended the RJR Sportsman and Sportswoman of the Year awards ceremony at the Jamaica Pegasus where Usain Bolt and Brigitte Foster Hylton walked away with the top prizes.

SPORT takes centre stage in 2010

There is no doubt that there will be a plethora of major sporting activities across the world in 2010 which will help to highlight the growth and potential of the sport tourism market. Because of these events, sport tourists will be moving around to enjoy moments that they will cherish forever.
One easy competition is the World Cup Football, scheduled for South Africa which is just under 155 days away (as of Wednesday, January 6). Records from 2006 suggest that for one month, there were over three million spectators at the 64 games played, with an average of 52,000 spectators attending each game. The 2006 edition was also the most watched where it is reported that there were just over 26 million viewers.
South Africa (Motherland) will no doubt, try to outdo those numbers. What does this mean for the sport tourism element? People will still travel to see tournaments, enjoy the destination and be a part of history. That is what sport tourism aims to do.
Back home in Jamaica, the Boys Championships will be celebrating 100 years, and 11 years in combination with the Girls competition and already there is a buzz in Kingston of what is likely to happen. So the opportunities will be tremendous once the proper plans are in place.
The Inter Secondary Schools Sports Association (ISSA) has outlined some of its plans and for the track and field fans, they are already on board; what then of the curious onlookers? So much has been written and spoken of Jamaica’s prowess in the athletics arena; shouldn’t this therefore be an opportunity for a multi-agency approach to attracting new groups to Jamaica? I did recommend that March 21 – 28 be designated track and field week in Jamaica, where we go after media in the areas of sports, lifestyle, food and locations to showcase the heartbeat of the Caribbean, Kingston.
In the first week of December nine major media houses from selected regions were in Kingston and the north coast to focus on Usain Bolt and his team ensured that the allure and essence of Kingston were captured as part of the overall picture. Those features are being aired from now until June as original runs and some may even feature repeats. We just need to keep the message going to attract the best of visitors to our shores.
As we continue to look at the prospects for Sport Tourism for 2010, the experts have determined it will carve out more of the overall tourism pie, accounting now for approximately 10 per cent. More money will be spent, more people will travel and so the destinations must improve its infrastructure and programmes (projects) which will capture the imagination of people.
Jamaica has the opportunity to go after sporting areas which has universal appeal and has the where-with-all to refocus its attention on sport tourism. The call is for the following associations to make the BOLD step forward – golf, tennis, swimming. There are additional opportunities for basketball, netball, hockey an football to focus on a new and untapped market – schools and colleges.
Here is my wish for a great year for sport tourism for Jamaica and by extension the Caribbean…we can do this!