Revised sports policy soon - PM

Livern Barrett, Gleaner Writer

With limited resources available for sports development, government is working to create a national sports commission and a revised sports policy to ensure that its sporting programmes are effectively coordinated.

Prime Minister Bruce Golding, who made the announcement on Wednesday at the Courtney Walsh Award for Excellence - won this year by Olympic gold medallist Aleen Bailey - said Cabinet has already instructed that the revised sports policy be submitted to its human resources subcommittee for final scrutiny.

"The examination that will be done by the subcommittee will determine whether we need to have further consultation before final signing off," Golding said at the function, which was held at the Pegasus hotel in New Kingston.

Pointing out that government will not be able to invest the level of resources the country's athletes require, Golding said the sports commission will provide an over-arching structure that will ensure that its programmes are properly coordinated.

He said the commission "will ensure that the resources that are available are most efficiently utilised and to provide that single point of reference in terms of public policy support".

bailey victorious

Bailey, a member of Jamaica's gold medal 4x100 metres relay teams at both the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece and the 2009 IAAF World Championships in Berlin, Germany, won the award ahead of three other nominees, two-time Olympic 200 metres champion Veronica Campbell-Brown, former national chess champion Jomo Pitterson, and champion race car driver David Summerbell.

The former Vere Technical standout was honoured for her consistency on the track and for giving back to her community and alma mater.

She called it an honour to win the award, named after the former West Indies captain and leading wicket-taker in Tests.

Pointing out that not many people get the chance to represent their country, Bailey said she and all the other athletes "represent Jamaica to the fullest".

"On the track, we have to shine and most definitely when off the track we have to shine with humility and grace," she said.

The Courtney Walsh Award for Excellence was established in 2005 by former Prime Minister P.J. Patterson and supported by the National Council on Sports in collaboration with the Culture, Health, Arts, Sports and Education Fund, to formally recognise the achievements of world-class cricketer, Hon Courtney Walsh OJ, ambassador-at-large.

The main objective of this annual award is to recognise the achievement of a person in sports who has displayed a high level of discipline, integrity and humility and other exemplary qualities during his or her career.