Kingston, 27 March 2020 – The Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, the Honourable Olivia Grange, says athletes who had been in training for the Olympic Games will receive financial support from the government next week.

Minister Grange had announced financial support, under the Athletes Assistance Programme, to offset expenses while athletes prepare for Tokyo 2020.

“We have finally signed off on the list of eligible athletes with the local governing bodies and we can now move to make direct deposits to the accounts of each of the approximately 150 athletes,” said Minister Grange on Friday.

Athletes representing seven disciplines — track and field, karate, gymnastics, rugby, canoeing, aquatics and boxing — will benefit from the Athletes Assistance Programme.

Each athlete will receive $J80,000, which represents the full commitment for the month of March during which athletes had to put their training programmes on hold in light of the decision to postpone the Olympic Games due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Minister Grange said in light of the developments, she had asked the Athlete Assistance Programme Committee, led by Mike Fennel, to review the initiative in discussion with the local governing bodies and make recommendations on the way forward.

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Kingston, February 2 - The Honourable Olivia Grange, Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport today told the Jamaica Tallawahs franchise of the Caribbean Premier League that from now on Government of Jamaica support of the Tallawahs will be on a more long term basis.

Addressing a news conference called by the Tallawahs at the Jamaica Pegasus, the Sport Minister said:

“We are speaking about an arrangement between the Government of Jamaica and the Jamaica Tallawahs that will be at least for three years, perhaps longer.

We saw that as the most suitable way forward to guard against Government having to respond to requests at the last minute. It affords us room to plan properly for the assistance that Government will be providing the Tallawahs.”

Miss Grange said that the Government sees collaboration with the Tallawahs as one clear way to increase investment in sporting activities that will contribute to the continued building of Brand Jamaica, “as we seek to maximize our returns from sports.”

“The Government fully endorses the franchise”, the Sport Minister said, as she announced that her Ministry had committed Two-point-Seven Million Dollars to facilitate the hosting of the 2019 CPL T20 Series in Jamaica. “In addition, the Sport Development Foundation (SDF), which falls under my Ministry, is providing support up to a maximum of Ten Million Jamaican Dollars in cash and in kind.

“This will facilitate the entry of all equipment which will be exported at the end of the series - cash sponsorship of JAD$4.6M and the guaranteed purchase of 60 tickets for all five nights along with two VIP boxes valued at JAD$1.1M for the hosting of special guests.

“I am pleased also to inform you that the Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC) has agreed to a discount on transportation services during the period of the matches based on my representation on behalf of the Tallawahs. There are other negotiations taking place which will result in other tangible support. We will provide an update on these negotiations.

“I must mention the Prime Minister’s assistance in Pepsi Cola Jamaica” becoming a Tallawahs sponsor. You might say Prime Minister Holiness, the Most Honourable Andrew Holness was a “match maker” in this union.

“We are happy with the news that Cricket West Indies has been able to make it possible for all the best Caribbean cricketers to take part in the tournament.

"So fans we will be treated not just to the best of our Caribbean cricketers, but to many of the top international players for 34 matches of high intensity cricket.

“Perhaps the news that makes us the happiest is that Chris Gayle will be returning to the Tallawahs and returning as Captain.

"We wish the Tallawahs every success on the staging of this exciting tournament as we continue our collaboration to present the games at the highest level."

Kingston 24 April 2019 – The Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, the Honourable Olivia Grange, has announced a “new approach to how the Ministry makes decisions” and how it will "direct investments in sport.”

Minister Grange outlined the new approach in a meeting with national sports federations and associations on Wednesday (today).

In explaining the reason for the changes, Minister Grange said:

"Public funding of sports is an investment for which good returns are expected. Therefore, we must review and update our processes to ensure that public money that is invested with sport governing bodies is well managed. At the end of the day, we must all be able to say we received value for money from our expenditure on sport.”

Under the new arrangements, the Sports Development Foundation will no longer consider requests for funding from sports federations/associations without a full accounting for monies being requested. Federations/associations are also now required to submit outstanding financial reports to be eligible for further financial support.

Minister Grange made clear that the new requirement will also apply in the case of requests to use national sports facilities. The new approach also has implications not only for sports governing bodies but for other entities that organise and promote competitions and which seek sponsorship from the SDF and from the Ministry.

“I believe this new requirement will help us to bring about greater accountability — which is something that we all desire,” said Minister Grange. She continued: “Greater accountability will also make local federations more attractive to private sector sponsors. There is no downside to having greater accountability.”

The Minister pointed out that some national federations/associations do not routinely submit financial reports, and urged them to move swiftly to become compliant with the reporting requirements.

Minister Grange said:

“If you receive over five million dollars from the Sports Development Foundation as subvention, you must provide audited financial statements annually. If you receive below five million dollars, you need to submit a financial statement.

“The organisations that receive monthly subventions must submit quarterly reports.

“And so I’m putting everybody on notice. If [your quarterly reports are] not submitted, your monthly subvention will be held. In other words, I’m saying to you, we have to get our house in order, we have to respond to you when you call on us, so you need to get your house in order so that we, as a team, can proudly say to the people of Jamaica ‘your money is being wisely spent’”.

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Kingston 1 March 2019 – The Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, the Honourable Olivia Grange, has announced a special allocation to Special Olympics Jamaica to enable the national team to compete at the World Summer Games in Abu Dhabi later this month.

“As Minister of Sport, I commit to supporting the Special Olympics programme in Jamaica. And in times like these when our athletes are preparing to represent us in the world games, special funding is also made available. We have provided this time around J$2M,” said Minister Grange at a handing over ceremony at the Ministry’s headquarters today (Friday).

The special allocation is provided by the Ministry through the Sports Development Foundation and is in addition to the subvention that Special Olympics Jamaica receives each month from the SDF to fund its programme.

Wishing the athletes well ahead of their departure, Minister Grange told them that they “represent the best of Jamaica — our heart, our spirit, our strength and we are extremely proud of you.”

The 2019 games, which will take place in the UAE capital between March 8 and 22, is being billed as the most unified Special Olympics World Games in the history of the Special Olympics.

Jamaica will send a 98 member delegation — with our athletes competing in Aquatics, Athletics, Badminton, Basketball, Bocce, Football, Volleyball, and Rollerskating.

Kingston, January 8, 2019 (JIS) - There are plans for the installation of additional running tracks in Kingston and central Jamaica.

Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, Hon. Olivia Grange, made the disclosure during her visit to observe repair work at the Stadium East running track in Kingston on January 7th.

The upgrading work is scheduled to be completed before the upcoming Gibson McCook Relays, the Minister noted.

Ms. Grange said that discussions regarding the installation of additional tracks have been “very fruitful”.

“Where we are now is that we are looking at a couple of other tracks being done, one at a high school, maybe in partnership with a private-sector entity, and another track, which will be sited to facilitate athletes in central Jamaica,”

Minister Grange said.

The Minister pointed out that the installation of the synthetic tracks will be two main objectives of the Ministry for the next fiscal year.

“We are still going to pursue our infrastructure development programme at various other sporting and entertainment facilities… but I hope we will be able to install two additional tracks in locations to be announced in the next fiscal year,” she added.

Ms. Grange said she has received reports with the possibility of developing four to six running tracks across Jamaica. She noted that the reports were done following visits to the locations by officials of the Sports Development Foundation and representatives from the BSW GmbH, the company contracted to repair the Stadium East running track.

Meanwhile, the Minister said that the running track at Catherine Hall in St James will be refurbished.

Kingston, November 21, 2018 -  The Honourable Olivia Grange, Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport has said that it is not true that she had acted improperly in her appointment of the new board of directors of the Sports Development Foundation (SDF), as alleged by the Opposition Spokesperson on Sport. 

“Nothing of the sort,” Miss Grange said. 

She said: “I acted within the dictates of the Articles of Incorporation of the SDF.

“It is obvious that it escaped the Opposition Spokesperson that on June 11, 2018, the ownership of the SDF was transferred to the Accountant General in the culmination of a process initiated by the Cabinet of which she was a member in July 2015. The intention was to identify all public companies that had registered shareholders/owners other than the Accountant General with a view to transferring those shares to the Government of Jamaica. 

“On May 17, 2018, the SDF registered its Articles of Incorporation with the Registrar of Companies and the Companies Office of Jamaica. These new Articles of Incorporation reflect the Government’s ownership of SDF. 

“My appointment of the Board of Directors is in keeping with the authority accorded as per the Articles of Incorporation. 

“Anyone looking on can see that I have indulged in no acts of politicisation as there has been little change of personnel in my re-appointment of the members of the SDF Board. 

“It is unfortunate that the Opposition should issue a statement that has absolutely no basis in facts,” Minister Grange concluded. 

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Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, the Honourable Olivia Grange, has announced that the Government of Jamaica through the Sport Development Foundation (SDF) has invested Nine Million Dollars into the national Women’s Football League.

Sport Minister the Honourable Olivia ‘Babsy’ Grange, today, disclosed that the appointment of all boards in the Government’s sports sector has now been completed with Cabinet’s approval of the new Board of Directors for the Institute of Sports (INSPORTS) on Monday, June 13, 2016.