Government moving to improve hurdles performance

Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, the Honourable Olivia Grange (centre) leads the ‘pack’ as they sample the new track at Stadium East. Others in the photograph are: Denzil Thorpe, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry; Major Desmon Brown, General Manager, Independence Park Limited; Mike Fennell, Chairman and David Shirley; Deputy Chairman, Independence Park Limited (left to right). Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, the Honourable Olivia Grange (centre) leads the ‘pack’ as they sample the new track at Stadium East. Others in the photograph are: Denzil Thorpe, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry; Major Desmon Brown, General Manager, Independence Park Limited; Mike Fennell, Chairman and David Shirley; Deputy Chairman, Independence Park Limited (left to right). MCGES/Shanna Kay Salmon

Kingston, 25 March 2019 – The Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, the Honourable Olivia Grange, has announced a major initiative to improve Jamaica’s performance in the hurdles.

The plan includes the provision of hurdles equipment to schools in a bid to increase participation in hurdling events and build proficiency in the discipline.

Today, Minister Grange announced that the Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport will be providing hurdles equipment to 25 schools in the first pilot phase of the initiative being funded by the Sports Development Foundation at a cost of $12.6M.

The Minister credited the Board of Directors at the Sport Development Foundation for coming up with the idea.

“The Board of the SDF in preparing its development plan identified a problem – the performance of our athletes in the hurdles is outstanding but participation is not widespread – Jamaica is excelling in the hurdles at the international level, yet only a minority of our schools participate in the discipline at Champs.  The conclusion was that if the pool were wider then we could be even more dominant,” Minister Grange said.

Each school will receive 20 hurdles. The schools include:

  • Mount Alvernia High School
  • Merlene Ottey High School
  • Ewarton High School
  • Green Island High School
  • Claude McKay High School
  • Convent of Mercy Academy Alpha
  • Christiana High School
  • Rhodes Hall High School
  • Gaynstead High School
  • Herbert Morrison Tech. High Sch.
  • Edith Dalton James High School
  • Spalding High School
  • St. Andrew Technical High School
  • Petersfield High School
  • St. James High School
  • Immaculate Conception High School
  • Merl Grove High School
  • Buff Bay High School
  • Mona High School
  • Morant Bay High School
  • Charlemont High School
  • Holmwood Technical High School
  • Waterford High School
  • Jonathan Grant High School
  • New Forest High School 

Minister Grange made the announcement at a ceremony to reopen the Stadium East Track at Independence Park Complex today.

Minister Grange said she was “extremely proud” that work on the Stadium East Track was completed ahead of the start of the Boys and Girls Champs which begin tomorrow at the National Stadium.

 

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Let’s go re-ignited towards a great future for Jamaica with renewed faith, courage and dedication.

Olivia Grange

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