Aris

HAVING set the standard in sprinting at the Beijing Olympics last summer, the Jamaica Amateur Athletic Association (JAAA) will be focusing its attention on developing other areas to strengthen its track and field repertoire.

"We are trying to build on our youth programme by concentrating on the events that have been successful," said Howard Aris, the association's president.

"We are trying to work very hard on middle and long distances and field events," he told journalists last Friday at a presentation held at Quik Cash - Sun Money Transfer in New Kingston, which donated $500,000 to the JAAA.

Aris noted that to make its programmes successful, they will need additional funding.

He said: "We cannot do much with our programmes, as you can imagine, because without funding, you can't do too much.

"We are going to have to ask for more contributions from the government, obviously. We are trying to get a lot more money this year because we believe that the expectations for track & field will be so high, that we need a lot more support now than ever."

He added, "We hope that our athletes are seen as the not one, but among the very few successes of the country, in terms of how good we are as a people and with that in mind, it is our hope that that will add as a catalyst to trigger the type of response."

In Beijing, Jamaica led by Usain Bolt, with gold medals in the 100m (9.69), 200m (19.30) and 4x100m (37.10), all world records, won 11 medals as they swept all 100m and 200m finals.

Aris said his association, which has Puma as its major sponsor, "spends approximately $80m each year on our programmes and therefore we have to generate sponsorships to cover that because we don't have income other than sponsorships".

Challenge the world

Later this year, Jamaica's athletes will once again challenge the world in a major event, this time at the IAAF's World Championships in Berlin, Germany.

Before that they will compete at several other meets, namely the inaugural Caribbean Games in Trinidad & Tobago (July), IAAF World Youth Championships in Italy (July), Central American and Caribbean Championships in Cuba (July), Junior Pan Am Championships (July) in Trinidad and Tobago, as well as the regional CARIFTA Games, to be held in St Lucia.

Next year, 2010, the two major events for Jamaica will be the Commonwealth Games and the World Junior Championships, while the IAAF World Championships and World Youth again take the spotlight in 2011, before the London Olympics in 2012.

Aris noted that sponsorships are very important to ensure proper preparation for these champs, as well as maintaining the country's level of success.

"The more other companies come in, is the more we can do," Aris noted of the contribution from Quik Cash "I hope this will stimulate interest and similar responses from other companies, who share a corporate view of Jamaica."