Sprint trio's statues planned for 2018

Sports Minister Olivia Grange said that a maquette (mock version) of a statue for Jamaica's female sprint star Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce is now in the island and it will be unveiled very soon.

Grange made the disclosure following the unveiling Jamaica's sprint icon Usain Bolt's statue at independence Park on Sunday.

Grange told The Gleaner in an interview that Fraser-Pryce's statue will be erected at the National Stadium next year.

"Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce's maquette is now here in Jamaica, and we will be have an unveiling of the maquette at a press briefing on it. At that time, we will indicate the date of the statue unveiling in Statue Park here at the National Stadium," said Grange.

more unveilings

"Asafa (Powell) and VCB's (Veronica Campbell-Brown) statues will also be unveiled at the same time in one big ceremony, and that will be later next year," she said.

"Shelly-Ann Fraser Pryce's will be sometime in the first half of the year, and then Veronica Campbell-Brown's and Asafa Powell's will be later on in the year."

The minister added the unveiling of the statues will help to form part of Jamaica's celebration of the country's Independence Day celebrations next year.

"We celebrate Jamaica's 56th year of Independence in a short period, and our young athletes have catapulted Jamaica to centre stage, where we are now seen as the sprint factory of the world," Grange said.

"It is fitting that we recognise their achievements when they are alive," she said.

"I don't believe in sending me flowers when am gone, and so as minister of sports, and certainly reflecting the position of the present administration, we want to honour our people while they are alive and while they have done tremendously well putting Jamaica centre stage in the world," Grange noted.