Sports Development Foundation

SUNDAY, JULY 18, 2021 14 KINGSTON, JAMAICA: F OR A small nation, a tiny dot on the globe, Jamaica’s footprint on the international sport- ing map is large. The number of global sports icons, unearthed by this nation of just over 4,200 square miles, can match up comfortably against the records of numer- ous larger and more developed countries. In track and field, there are Usain Bolt and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce; in cricket Chris Gayle and Andre Russell; in netball Romelda Aiken; in swim- ming there is Alia Atkinson, and the list goes on. For all these athletes, there is one common denominator. On their indi- vidual journeys to greatness, they all honed their crafts and competed in local facilities constructed or refur- bished by the Sports Development Foundation (SDF). The agency was established in 1995 to provide resources to sup- port the development and imple- mentation of sport in Jamaica. Its mission is to develop the physical infrastructure and human capital for sport at the community and national levels, by implementing appropriate plans, policies, and programmes. The SDF also provides funding for sport associations and grants to athletes to enable participation in regional and international competitions. However, the development of sports infrastructure across the island has been a hallmark of the agency’s work over the decades. Among the centrepieces of the SDF’s development initiatives are the running tracks at the National Stadium and the Stadium East facility. “The National Stadium is the only place in Jamaica that has two synthetic tracksmore or less at the same level, so you compete inside, and youwarmup outside on a surface that is basically the same. On that basis the National Stadium is a Level 1 facility, the high- est at the international level. Between 2009 and 2011, the SDF funded the refurbishing of those tracks and since then it has been responsible for the maintenance that has been done,”says general manager of the SDF, Denzil Wilks. Through a process of procurement, the German company Regupol BSW GmbH has installed and maintained these facilities, ensuring the availabil- ity of a world-class facility to Jamaica’s athletes. Addi t ional ly, wi thin the Independence Park complex, the SDF has also funded the replacement of the filtration system at the National Aquatic Centre, resurfaced the Leila Robinson netball courts twice and replaced the seating at the facility. The National Basketball Courts at Independence Park have also benefited from support from the SDF, with the Foundation financing the refurbishing of the facility to the tune of $35 million. As part of the refurbishing work, the seating capacity has been expanded from 400 to 1,000, and the playing surface upgraded. Sporting lights have also been installed. Another major facility for which the SDF has received a number of plaudits is the Mona Hockey Field in Mona, St Andrew. The only interna- tional-standard, all-weather artificial playing field in Jamaica and one of a few in the Caribbean, the facility allows local hockey players to simu- late first-class conditions as they train and play. Built in 1999, the facility has played host to a number of regional and international tournaments over the years, with expectations for many more to come. The surface was replaced in 2014 with the assistance of the Argentinian government. The SDF has also left an indelible footprint at the island’s premier train- ing institution for persons pursuing careers in the field of sports – the G.C. Foster College of Physical Education and Sports. Located in Spanish Town, St Catherine, the institution boasts a level two athletic track, constructed LEGACY OF SPORTS INFRASTRUCTURAL DEVELOPMENT PLEASE SEE LEGACY, 17