Caribbean News
One Week until the Inaugural Jamaica International Cycling Classic
#Jamaica, March 28, 2022 – With only a week left to the starting whistle, the launch of the inaugural three day Jamaica International Cycling Classic took place on March 24, at the Toyota Jamaica showroom in Kingston. The launch event was well attended and included partners, federation representatives and cycling enthusiasts.
This historical event will place Jamaica on the map for a number of reasons, which event organiser, Coach Carlton
Simmonds of Simmonds High Velocity Cycling Club, explained in his remarks. As part of an effort to build sports tourism in the country, the event has competitors coming from Canada, the Cayman Islands, Cuba, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, Trinidad & Tobago, and the United States. With more than 150 cyclists registered, this inaugural event is already achieving participation numbers close to those of the most globally recognised cycling races, like the Tour de France and the Amstel Gold Race.
Simmonds outlined that the race will also help local cyclists on a number of fronts. Currently most races in Jamaica are single day events with limited foreign entrants. A multi day (193 mile) race that includes a large international contingent will “test the mettle” of the Jamaican athletes and better prepare them for future competitive events. Which is not to say that the foreign entrants will not feel the pressure from the local competitors as well. Furthermore, this event will help bolster Jamaica’s reputation as a destination for sports tourism.
Also speaking at the launch was Donna-Kaye Sharpe, Secretary of the Jamaican Cycling Federation who said, “I am overjoyed that the sport is finally awaking from its slumber, with world-class competition back on the island. This event will have a far-reaching impact on national cycling. The sport has been on a low for some time, and to have an international event here is super.”
Sharpe continued to explain that one of the ambitions for the Federation and the event is to have it officially sanctioned by the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI, the world governing body), as a points qualifying event. In
this vein, the of Pan-American Cycling Confederation President, José Manuel Peláez Rodriguez, and the President of the Caribbean Cycling Confederation, Trevor Bailey will be in attendance and will audit the race organisation against their standard.
If approved, Jamaican and Caribbean cyclists will be able to earn qualifying points for international races in Jamaica through this event. At present, in order to earn points, cyclists have to compete in events overseas to qualify for international races like the Pan American Games, British Commonwealth Games and, of course, the Olympic Games. Conversely, foreign cyclists will have the Jamaican competition on their race calendar, making it a win-win for Jamaican cycling.
The proceedings were hosted by Donald Oliver, Senior Producer at SportsMax and other speakers included partners Reshima Kelly, Brand Marketing Manager at Digicel; Tom Connor, Managing Director at Toyota Jamaica, and Ransford Rickets, Head of Channels and Content Acquisition at SportsMax. Each spoke with fondness on their memories of cycling, as well as how an event of this calibre benefits Jamaica and the wider Caribbean.
The event committee, partners, sponsors, and stakeholders are all looking forward to the race, and the development of cycling in general, as well as distributing the US$12,000 prize fund to the winners. The Jamaica International Cycling Classic takes place in in Montego Bay, Jamaica from April 1-3, 2022, and is open to cyclists and spectators alike; and for those who cannot attend in person, they can check out all the coverage on SportsMax.
KINGSTON, April 29 (JIS):
Minister without Portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Senator the Hon. Matthew Samuda, says the outcome of discussions arising from the Jamaica National Stakeholder Consultation on Climate Services and the 1st National Climate Forum (NCF-1) will assist in guiding the Government’s planning for climate change.
This, he points out, is important for climate mitigation as well as building Jamaica’s resilience.
“We look forward to the discussions that will, no doubt, take place. We look forward to the basis of planning for the Government to streamline its investments to ensure you have the tools that you need to better advise us, that the WRA (Water Resources Authority) has the tools to digitise its monitoring network, and that all of the agencies that touch our planning mechanisms have the tools. But we need to know what we are facing, and we’re guided by your expertise,” Minister Samuda said.
He was addressing the opening ceremony for the Jamaica National Stakeholder Consultation on Climate Services and the 1st National Climate Forum (NCF-1) at the Courtyard by Marriott Hotel in New Kingston on Monday (April 29).
Senator Samuda said given the fact that the climate has changed and continues to do so, investments in and collaborations on building Jamaica’s predictive and scientific capacity must be prioritised.
“Ultimately, we need to be able to assess our current climatic realities if we are to better plan, if we’re to insist and ensure that our infrastructure meets the needs that we need it to. I’m very happy that this event is happening… because this is a critical issue.
“Jamaica, last year, faced its worst and most severe drought… and this year, we’re already seeing the impacts of not quite as severe a drought but, certainly, a drought with severe impacts, especially in the western part of the country,” he said.
Principal Director, Meteorological Service of Jamaica, Evan Thompson, explained that the forum aims to, among other things, establish a collaboration platform for climate services providers and users to understand risks and opportunities of past, present and future climate developments, as well as improve inter-agency coordination of policies, plans and programmes.
Among the other presenters were Ambassador, European Union to Jamaica, Her Excellency Marianne Van Steen; Chief Scientist/Climatologist, Caribbean Institute for Meteorology and Hydrology, Adrian Trotman; and Head, Regional Climate Prediction Services, World Meteorological Organization, Wilfran Moufouma-Okia.
The Meteorological Service of Jamaica hosted the Jamaica National Stakeholder Consultation on Climate Services and the 1st National Climate Forum (NCF-1) in partnership with the Caribbean Institute for Meteorology and Hydrology and the World Meteorological Organization.
The National Stakeholder Consultation is a governance mechanism that guides how different sectors or actors work together to create products that contribute to adaptation and resilience-building. It seeks to create a road map for the development and implementation of climate services to inform decision-making.
NCF-1 aims to bridge the gap between climate providers and users. It increases the use of science-based information in decision-making and operations with the aim of generating and delivering co-produced and co-designed products and services.
CONTACT: CHRIS PATTERSON
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