Sports groups press for long-term funding plan in Jamaica

Jamaica's reputation as a sporting country remains strong, but key stakeholders say the business side of the industry has been under financial pressure for years. At a youth exporting summit held this week, panellists from across the sector argued that sports bodies need realistic, long-term answers to survive and grow.

A major concern raised at the forum was that many sporting organisations still rely heavily on volunteers to keep operations going. Several bodies also depend on support from the Sports Development Foundation to help cover expenses, but panellists said the Government does not have the capacity to fully fund every association.

The chairman of Montego Bay United, Doing Epstein, said sports organisations should make a united approach to the Minister of Sport and push for a stronger commercial framework. He said the sector must be treated as a business and not only as a passion project.

"We need to go sit in front of our Minister of Sport as a collective and say Madam Minister, this is where we need you. And this is where we you need to be our champion because we need to build this as a as a as a business in our country," he said.

He also pointed to the special economic zone structure as one possible avenue for support, saying many people may not realise that sports and sporting facilities can form part of that arrangement. According to him, that model could open the door to a wide range of financial backing and business incentives.

Former JOA vice-president Don Anderson said the shortage of funding is also affecting leadership across the sector. He said many organisations are effectively being run by part-time administrators who give their time on a voluntary basis rather than full-time professionals.

"Every one of them that I know is run by a group of amateurs," Anderson said, adding that people like himself often do the work in their spare time. He said he is involved in ice hockey at present, underscoring the wider strain on sports administration.