JAMAICA GYMNASTIC ASSOCIATION WISHES FOR NEW GYMNASIUM IN THE COMING NEW YEAR

While we enjoy the warmth and joy of the season, Nicole Grant, president of the Jamaica Gymnastic Association (JAGA), is optimistic that the good cheer will spill over in their courts as a new gymnasium heads their wish list ahead of the New Year.

The association was left in desperation after the expenses to rent and pay coaches at the Shin Nashida-owned Nishida’s Gym to train the national team became overbearing on their budget. This resulted in members of the team having to perform training sessions at their respective clubs.

Though the Japanese Embassy, through their Grassroots funding programme, donated US$90,000 towards the building of a facility at The University of the West Indies (UWI), JAGA is still left out in the cold as the funding is mainly to assist Nishida’s private Gym Club with a facility of their own.

While this provides an opportunity for more gymnasts to train in better facilities, the affordability is of major concern.

However, instead of contributing $16 million to build a bigger facility at UWI, which would not always be available at their convenience, JAGA decided to join forces with the Jamaica School of Gymnastics to build a gym of their own, but is currently in need of adequate funding.

“We have bought a gymnasium from China. It’s now at the wharf, but right now we need assistance in terms of funding to actually build it, because we have the land and we have the actually gym, but we just need funding to pay the engineer to set up and build base. We are hoping to build a five-foot wall base as well as the flooring and all that,” Grant told the Jamaica Observer in a recent interview.

“We need a home for gymnastics more than anything, where talented gymnasts from all economic backgrounds can get the highest level of training. We have come a far way and we hope other members of corporate Jamaica will come on board to help raise the funds to put the structure together, because having this facility will help us to develop far more athletes than we are now able to do,” she added.

Despite the lack of facility and sponsorship for various programs, Grant pointed out that JAGA was able to gradually defy the odds with their biggest achievement of the year — being represented at the Rio Olympics.

“Through the hard work of Toni-Ann Williams, our presence at the 2016 Olympics has garnered more awareness for the sport and as such we were able to achieve our goals for the year.

“We were very blessed to have our Olympian Toni-Ann and the rest of our local and overseas-based senior gymnasts come together and host the first annual gymnastics summer camp for our beginners to advance gymnasts. We were also able to show our appreciation to the many persons and affiliates who have contributed to the growth of gymnastics in Jamaica,” she stated, adding that they will be recognising junior gymnasts on January 28.

Another major achievement for the year came when 22 members of the National Junior Development team represented at the Caribbean Fest in Ashburn Virginia and won several prizes at Level One, Two and Six, respectively.

The visit of elected president of the International Gymnastics Federation, Morinari Watanabe, to the island for the first time was also viewed as a major accomplishment on the part of JAGA.

“These were all great moments that we are really proud of. Also, due to the lack of adequate facility we were able to send 13 of our gymnasts — two senior and 11 juniors —to train at G Force Gymnastics in Ashburn, Virginia, earlier this year, and this was also a success that we are hopeful will have the coaches come to Jamaica and many more gymnasts would then be trained,” Grant noted.

Grant remains upbeat that if JAGA acquires the funds and support to get the facility up and running, then many more success stories lie in wait for what will be another packed schedule next year.

Among the marquee events next year is the National Junior Development Team (Level 1-8) competition season where the A Team, consisting of 17 members, will travel to Maryland to compete at the United Winter Fest Gymnastics Meet in January. The B team, comprising 13 members, will head to Virginia to compete at the Caribbean Fest in Ashburn in February.

In March, a nine-member team of optional gymnastics from level 7-10 will compete in Montreal, Canada at the Gymnix Invitational, before closing their competition season with the Caribbean Gymnastics championships in April where they will be defending their title.

Finally, the National Junior and Senior Teams will be competing at the CAC qualifiers in Guatemala in July and then at the PanAm Championships in Peru in August. The seniors will then move on to the World Championships in Montreal, Canada in October.

“So it is all set for what we hope will be another exciting and successful year,” said Grant.

She continued: “We would like to take this opportunity to thank the executive/council body, Jamaica Olympic Association, SDF (Sports Development Foundation), sponsors, coaches, parents, the media, and Creative Kids and Learning Centre for our meeting venue and for their support during 2016.

“We hope they will continue to support us in the future as we depend on them to help with the development of gymnastics to ensure our young gymnasts will continue to have an outlet to engage their minds and bodies as they develop in fit and healthy adults while making Jamaica proud as they represent us at the highest level.”