Kingston, 9 April 2021 - Registration will open on Thursday, April 15, 2021, for the forum which will start the mental health programme being conducted by Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport to help the nation’s athletes to cope with the effects of covid-19.

The forum with the theme, Elevate the Game…Building the Muscle of the Mind of Jamaica, will look at mental resilience in sport and sport performance post-covid-19.

The Registration period will run from April 15 up to April 21, the day of the event, until half an hour prior to the start.

Applicants should download the Whova app from the App Store for iPhone users and from the Play Store for Android users. A link will be sent directly to the applicant after registration is completed. The applicant will then be able to access the webinar. Registration is complimentary via a #MCGESgamechanger ticket.
 
There will be use of subtitles for the hearing impaired athletes.

In her earlier announcement of the mental health programme for Jamaican athletes, Minister Grange said: “The covid-19 pandemic has seriously disrupted the lives and livelihood of our athletes, coaches, and their support staff; and we feel that it is extremely important to provide them with the support.

“We’ve provided financial support and we also think that they need support through a mental health programme to help them to deal with the existing situation,” said Minister Grange.

Minister Grange said the Ministry was staging the forum in collaboration with Optimisation Hub, which operates out of Australia. They have worked closely with the Olympics and other international bodies in these matters. Our local partners include mental health specialists such as psychologists and psychiatrists, led by Consultant Psychiatrist, Dr Saphire Longmore.

Dr Longmore is available to provide counselling and information that any athlete, coach, or federation/association may require.

The mental health programme is the latest in a series of actions by the Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport to “assist athletes, coaches, and their support teams to go through this trying period,” Minister Grange said.

The Sport Minister said the Ministry will continue to provide financial support to the sports sector.

END