Ice Hockey Federation plans self sufficient rink

Jamaica Olympic Ice Hockey Federation director Don Anderson says the island’s first ice hockey rink being planned for construction on the north coast may be a multi-purpose venue. This, he says, is to allow the federation to use the facility in other ways to generate its own funding.

The national ice hockey team’s historic first tournament win at the LATAM Cup in Florida last weekend has got widespread acclaim from across the nation.

Now, plans are in place to invest in the sport’s future, with preliminary plans to construct an ice-rink facility for the team for tournaments and pre-season training. This is because it is a requirement that for a country to participate in international tournaments, including the Olympics, it has to have an ice-rink facility and a local-development programme.

Anderson said that since plans for construction have been announced, the federation has been contacted by other parties interested in future use of the venue.

COMMERCIALLY VIABLE VENTURES

“We have been approached by someone who has an interest in figure skating, so the two would obviously go together,” Anderson told The Gleaner. “Those are possibilities, but obviously, it has to be a commercially viable venture so that it can pay for itself. So all of these things are being looked at. This is something that the federation and the Ministry (of Sport) have discussed in great detail.”

Anderson said that the overwhelming support that the team got throughout the LATAM Cup has made the association fully committed to the vision of getting Jamaica to the next level.

“All the players are firmly now committed that we get to the next level,” he said. “They are just so buoyed by the fact that Jamaicans came out and supported them. The entire team told me they are thrilled by the fact that they now know that Jamaicans believe in them.

“As a result, we believe that this is a good launching pad for them to do even better things when they get the opportunity to get more games.”

Sport Minister Olivia Grange said on Wednesday that a group of investors from Canada are in what she describes as “serious discussion” to build the facility, which would house the hockey team, potentially the bobsled team, and also an 800-room boutique hotel.

Grange said that the team’s success has also attracted the attention of potential sponsors and partners that are willing to give the team support. She said the investment group is in the process of signing a memorandum of understanding to get the project started.