Part of proposals being discussed with Chinese Ambassador to Jamaica

Durrant Pate/Contributor

Jamaica is now in discussions with China on plans to training Chinese athletes in the sprints.

This is part of ongoing talks Jamaica and China on international cooperation. In addition to training Chinese athletes in the sprints, the two nations are also discussing infrastructure development along with the human resource input.

A detailed proposal in this regard being prepared by Jamaica for submission to the Chinese Embassy in Jamaica.  The commitment was given by Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, Olivia Grange, who received a courtesy call Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to Jamaica, Chen Daojiang.

During Wednesday’s talks, Grange and Daojiang discussed a wide range of areas of possible cooperation between the Government of Jamaica and the Government of China covering her portfolio responsibilities of the Ministry.

The two agreed that the Jamaica-China Technical Cooperation Programme was very successful up until its forced ending by the COVID-19 pandemic. Under the programme, 138 Jamaican athletes, managers and coaches in seven sporting disciplines went to China for specialised training.

The areas were swimming, synchronised swimming, badminton and gymnastics, as well as volleyball, women’s football and basketball. The women’s football programme was particularly beneficial to the Jamaicans as were the swimming and synchronised swimming programmes.