The Hon. Natalie Netia Headley,indicated that Jamaica would be an ideal location for a Diamond League Meet. Please see the full text of her presentation below.
I am pleased to have been asked to be a part of this panel to explore the possibilities of Jamaica joining the prestigious list of Diamond League destinations and to speak specifically to the role of the Government in facilitating in this process. We are unfortunately missing two of our panellist due to illness and so I am confident that since Don and I managed to not call in sick today we should be able to handle this discussion on our own. On a seriously, I want to wish Mr. Teddy McCook a speedy recovery and I also wish the same for Mr. Wilfried Meert, a friend of Jamaica.
Clearly our role, involvement and responsibilities would cross several sectors, involve several ministries, not just the Office of the Prime Minister, the Ministry Responsible for Sport, but as well, the Ministry of Tourism and Entertainment, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, the Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce, and their respective agencies to name a few. Our involvement would necessitate urgent actions, many of which have been outlined in the White Paper on the National Sport Policy which was on Monday approved by the Cabinet and is soon to be submitted to Parliament.
It fits perfectly into our policy that sport development is central to the realisation of our Vision 2030 Jamaica goals in which we articulate our keen desire to have Jamaica becomethat place of choice to live, work, raise a family and do business. The Policy also provides the framework for the development of economic and social partnerships aimed at capitalising on this massive industry and the competitive strength of sport in Jamaica.
Before I address the issue of government’s direct role in the implementation of Jamaica as a Diamond League destination, I feel I must look at the overriding reasons why Jamaica should be a Diamond League destination.
First among these must be Jamaica’s role as the regional leader in track & field. With due respect to the United States which has a tremendous record of track & field achievement, Cuba which has a similar history of producing in athletics and many countries of the region including Trinidad & Tobago, Canada, Mexico and the Bahamas which have been active and successful in track & field for many decades, I think it is fair to say that Jamaica is regarded as the hub of track & field athletics for the region.
Our success over the last 100 years and certainly since 1948 has been nothing short of phenomenal. We have produced 27 individual Olympic medallists, 5 of whom have earned bronze, 14 of whom have earned at least 1 silver, and 8 of whom have won gold medals. In total these 27 athletes have earned 50 individual Olympic medals for Jamaica: a fraction under 3 individual medals per Olympic competition. A further 41 Jamaicans who never won an individual Olympic medal have won Olympic relay medals. That’s 68 Jamaicans who have taken home an Olympic medal in 17 Olympic competitions, an average of 4 such medals per games. These results speak for themselves.
We have also produced 25 individual medallists at the IAAF World Championships outdoors since 1983 in just 13 Championships and those 25 persons have won Jamaica 54 individual medals. I could go on, listing out accomplishments at the Indoor World Championships; and on the Grand Prix circuit, where Jamaicans have been a staple since its inception.
The reality is that Jamaica has been to a measurable extent responsible for the success of: the Grand Prix circuit; then the “Golden Four” series of meets which had Merlene Ottey as one of its biggest and brightest stars and drawing cards; the Golden League during its 12 year existence which saw the rise to world prominence of Asafa Powell; and now the Diamond League, which in 2012 had four Jamaicans as Diamond Race winners in their respective events.
Usain Bolt won for the 100 metres, Nickel Ashmeade for the 200 metres, Shelly-Ann Frazer-Pryce for the women’s 100 metres and Kaliese Spencer for the women’s 400 metres hurdles. Ottey, Powell, and Bolt have during their time been and are the marquee athletes in the promotion of these events and to a significant extent contributed to the growth and development of the athletic circuit globally and the current success of the Diamond League.
Internationally most track & field athletes want to compete in Jamaica. They see this nation as the Mecca of track & field, where their efforts would be fully understood and appreciated. They want to experience first hand the adulation of the same fans that have cheered on the Jamaican champions and applauded our regional friends when they compete at the national stadium.
Our hosting of the IAAF World Junior Championships in 2002 and the annual Jamaica Invitational has proven our ability to manage world class international track meets with all their technical and media demands. Additionally, at the national level, Jamaica hosts one of the largest and most unique annual high school boys and girls championships in the world which has overwhelming national and international support. In light of this, there is no question about the level of support that the Diamond League would get from Jamaicans at home and abroad.
We need only think on the national response to broadcasts of the Diamond League here at home to come to the realisation that all Jamaica sees this series as the very best of professional track & field.
Our location would be very attractive to participants from the United States, the Caribbean region, Central America and South America and if properly scheduled the meet would also find no problem in attracting athletes from Europe, Africa, Asia and the pacific region. Africans would remember that it was here that Filbert Bayi set a world record. Americans like Carmelita Jeter and Allyson Felix are no strangers here while our Caribbean brothers and sisters have all competed here, some from a very young age.
The possibility of winning in the home of Herb McKenley, Donald Quarrie, Merlene Ottey and Usain Bolt would make getting the signatures on the dotted line easier than ever. There is no doubt that our stadium would be completely sold out to enthusiastic and knowledgeable spectators but more importantly, the rich legacy of Jamaica in world athletics would provide opulent audio visual content for international audiences especially the fans worldwide.
The Diamond League in Jamaica would also give the sponsors the opportunity to present their products to the Jamaican market and, for those who sponsor Jamaican athletes, the chance to show the world the culture from which their stars emanate. The Diamond League in Jamaica would automatically become the “Reggae Diamond League” and some would come on the off chance of meeting our musical stars and for the opportunity to see Jamaica, experience our tourism product and sample our culinary delights.
So there is every reason the Diamond League should come to Jamaica. Therefore, the question is what would be governments’ role in such an initiative?
Among the most important areas of government involvement would be:
1) Engaging the Diamond League franchise owners – Already the JAAAs, with the full support of the Government of Jamaica, has begun to explore with the IAAF the possibilities for Jamaica to become a Diamond League destination. These discussions have focussed on the vision of the IAAF President. It is clear from these discussions that by hosting a meeting in Jamaica, the Diamond League will be able to build the worldwide appeal of athletics. It is also clear that a Jamaica meeting will be able to provide world class entertainment by providing outstanding TV images. The Diamond League in Jamaica would give a fair chance to top athletes of all disciplines to get media exposure, earn their living and have their success in Major Championships honoured. In fact, it would be a win-win situation all round. What is not clear is how Jamaica would fund its purse.
All 32 disciplines have the same prize money with a total of US$26,000 x 16 disciplines per meeting equalling US$416,000. Evidence of the existence of this purse must be shown for five years to convince the organizers that we can do this.
Appearance fees must be paid to each athlete who comes to the Jamaica for each meet. Happily though, the 4 carat diamond worth US$80,000 which is awarded to each Diamond Race Winner is not ours to find. I believe the IAAF provides that (laugh).
So the bar is high in one specific area – money. And I dear say, I am at the right place talking to the right persons about this.
2) The venue – Ensuring through the Independence Park Limited that the venue is in the best state of readiness to host the Diamond League, including the track facilities, warm-up facilities, training and work-out facilities (which could also necessitate the availability of facilities at our universities and other venues outside IPL), changing rooms, parking, security and traffic control.
2) Promotion – Through the Jamaica Tourist Board, the Caribbean Tourism Organization, the Caribbean Broadcasting Corporation, SportsMax and other regional and international media, for which we would not of course be solely responsible.
3) Regionalizing the Meet – The Government of Jamaica would be responsible for leading the discussion with our regional brothers and sisters to secure buy-in to the event. Not as Jamaica’s Diamond League meet, but as the Regional Diamond League meet, with the outcome being measurable regional support for the meet.
4) Bureaucracy: Liaising with the meeting director and his/her secretariat team to ensure that bureaucratic obstacle are kept to the absolute minimum in making the participation of athletes from all global destinations as pain-free as possible. This would include arrangements at immigration and customs to expedite arrivals and departures, and ground travel arrangements to minimize travel time to and from the airport and to and from the venue.
5) Security: Working with the security forces in assisting with security arrangements for the visiting athletes.
6) Housing and Vacation Arrangements: Working with the Ministry of Tourism and the JHTA to ensure proper housing is available for all visiting athletes and their teams, as well as media, and persons who travel to Jamaica to watch the meet. Also including making arrangements for tours and activities for those who may wish to have a more complete stay in Jamaica and want to get a taste of our culture and our attractions or just extend their stay into a full vacation.
7) Media Facilities: Working with all relevant authorities, public and private to ensure that all necessary facilities for visiting and local media are in place, including internet, broadcast and print to make the coverage of the event as complete and seamless as possible and to ensure that information on events and starters and results are made available with the highest accuracy and in the shortest possible time.
8) Equipment: Facilitating the seamless importation and subsequent re-exportation of technical equipment and tools necessary for the running and coverage of the event.
7) Taxation: Working with all stakeholders in determining what taxes and tariffs should be and would be applied or waived as the case might be.
8) Workshops etc.: Working with the meet director and team to have some of the visiting athletes, coaches agree to present workshops aimed mainly at the young athletes of Jamaica.
We have before us a real opportunity to leverage our success as a track and field super power. How we seek to capitalize on the dominance we currently enjoy will eventually reflect in our country’s balance sheet.
