Jamaica team leaves with high hopes

Jermaine Lannaman, Gleaner Writer

Kerry-Lee Ricketts, assistant coach of Jamaica's track and field team to the 26th International University Sports Federation (FISA) 2011 Universiade Summer Games, has promised that the athletes will make the country proud at the August 12-23 Games in Shenzhen, China.

Ricketts, who was a member of Jamaica's coaching staff to the recently concluded Pan-Am Junior Championship in Florida, in making his comment, also pointed out that this was more than possible, as given the make-up of the team, he was expecting several medals from the track and field team.

"For a national combined university track and field team, it is a fairly strong one, and like the national junior and senior teams, we are looking forward to going and representing the country at a high level," said Ricketts, shortly before the team's departure at the Norman Manley International Airport yesterday.

promising team

The 12-member team, which is being managed by Inter-Collegiate Sports Association track and field chairman, Rasheed Hall, includes a number of promising national athletes, who will use the Games to further develop their talent.

These include national 100m hurdles champion Indira Spence, 2009 World Championships 200m finalist Anneisha Mclaughlin, hurdler Shermaine Williams and sprinter Carrie Russell on the women's side.

The men's team includes national championships 200m finalist Jason Young, shot putter Odayne Richards, sprinters Jacques Harvey and Rasheed Dwyer and hurdler Hansle Parchment.

Medal hope

"Since the national championships I have been putting in a lot of work, and should everything go according to plan I am looking forward to at least a medal," said Young.

Meanwhile, Teresa Lake, sales manager for Virgin Atlantic, Northern Caribbean, who was on hand to meet the team at the airport, said her company was pleased to be a sponsor of the team, and the airline was looking forward to them doing well.

"We are proud to be one of the sponsors of the team, and the hope is that they will go there and make a mark," said Lake.

"Virgin Atlantic see ourselves as part of Jamaica, and supporting the team is just another way of expressing our commitment to the development of sports, sportsmen and sportswomen in general."

The Sports Development Foundation and Jamaica National Building Society are also sponsors of the team.