Stephen Francis thanksgiving service scheduled for August 15 in Kingston

A thanksgiving service for Stephen ‘Franno’ Francis, the late founder and head coach of the MVP Track Club, is set for Saturday, August 15, at the National Indoor Sports Centre in Kingston.

Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport Minister Olivia Grange disclosed the date during Tuesday’s sitting of Parliament. She told lawmakers that Francis’s sudden death has created a gap felt across Jamaica’s athletics fraternity and the wider country.

“Franno was not just a coach; he was a master architect of human potential who redefined the boundaries of what Jamaican athletes could achieve on the global stage. His journey, characterised by an uncompromising commitment to excellence and a fierce, almost stubborn belief in local talent, transformed the landscape of sprinting forever,” she said.

Francis, who was widely regarded as one of the leading figures in world athletics coaching, passed away on Saturday, July 4. He was 64 and died one day after marking his birthday.