JOA sees CAC, Commonwealth Games as Olympic springboard

Christopher Samuda, president of the Jamaica Olympic Association (JOA), hopes the performances from the Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Games and Commonwealth Games can be used as platforms for his 2028 Los Angeles Olympic vision.
The JOA will field two separate contingents to the CAC Games and Commonwealth Games, set to run simultaneously in the upcoming days.
Samuda said with Jamaica competing in 37 sporting disciplines across the two championships, he hopes their performances can be used as the first stepping stone towards his Olympic vision.
Samuda hopes to one day see Jamaica compete in up to 15 sporting events at the 2028 LA Games, a major increase from the four it participated in, in 2024.
Jamaica’s record for the most events at a single Olympics stands at six, achieved at the 1972 Munich Olympics and the delayed 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
“I am hoping that Los Angeles will provide that moment in our Olympic history where I will see about 15 or 16 sports represented in the opening ceremony,” the JOA president said.
“That will give me absolute pride, and although I would not say mission accomplished yet, I will say mission almost accomplished.”
Samuda said the performances from the CAC and Commonwealth Games will not only encourage Jamaican athletes to have Olympic aspirations, but it will also revitalise the local sporting federations.
He eyes the upcoming championships as proof of the JOA’s commitment to sporting development and encourages sporting federations to align with the JOA’s mission.
“What we are saying to other sports is that you have a right to self-actualise, and the Jamaica Olympic Association is here to provide that opportunity and environment for you,” Samuda said.
“You owe it to your athletes as well. When athletes join a sport federation, they are looking to optimise their performance and self-actualise,” he continued.
Samuda said the responses from federations have been mainly positive, and further collaboration with the JOA will only support their athletes’ ambitions.
“What we have said to the federations is apart from the monetary investment that we make, in order to make the transition seamlessly, what we have to do is to imbue them with a sense of pride and a commitment that goes beyond the podium.”
Samuda continued, “This is something that I am very pleased that the member federations and associations have grasped, and they are telegraphing that message to their own sportsmen and sportswomen and administrators.”
The Commonwealth Games will run from July 23 through to August 2 while the CAC Games will run from July 24 to August 8.
gregory.bryce@gleanerjm.com