Kingston, 30 September 2020 – The Minister of Culture, Gender Entertainment & Sport, the Honourable Olivia Grange, has unveiled Jamaica’s first ever national anti-doping mobile unit.

Minister Grange officially handed over the especially retrofitted bus to the Chairman of the Jamaica Anti-Doping Commission, Alexander Williams, and the Executive Director of the Commission, June Spence Jarrett, during a special ceremony this afternoon (Wednesday).

“It is retrofitted to facilitate able-bodied athletes, athletes with disabilities, and paralympians — so we cover the wide spectrum of the constituents that we have to serve,” said Minister Grange. She said the unit would boost JADCO’s ‘clean sports’ mission.

Also present for the unveiling were the Minister of State in the Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, the Honourable Alando Terrelonge; Permanent Secretary, Denzil Thorpe; and Olympic Sprint Hurdler, Megan Tapper.

Minister Grange said the JADCO mobile unit is the second in the world to be operated by a national anti-doping organisation.

Minister Grange said:
“The only other national anti-doping organisation in the world that has a similar unit is the Japan anti-doping organisation. So we’re very proud to be one of two.

“This very important mobile unit has now been made available through the efforts of the Jamaica Anti-Doping Commission and the Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport.

“This has been a dream for us and today our dream is a reality.

“We will continue to introduce new innovations in the interest of our mandate which is to fight doping in sports.”

END