JAAA will help athletes access World Athletics fund
Published:Wednesday | April 29, 2020 | 12:21 AMDaniel Wheeler/ Gleaner Writer
Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association (JAAA) president, Dr Warren Blake, says that the federation will help to facilitate the applications of local athletes for them to benefit from a newly created US$500,000 (J$70.2 million) fund by World Athletics in order to assist those suffering financially due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The international governing body, in a press release yesterday, announced the initiative which is in partnership with the International Athletics Foundation (IAF). World Athletics President Sebastian Coe said that the fund would be utilised to help athletes who have lost a significant amount of their earnings due to the postponement and cancellation of events on the calendar. The release stated that the initiating source of capital was found by allocating resources from the IAF’s 2020 and 2021 budgets.
While the process to access the funds is yet to be determined, he said that the federation stands ready to assist in securing the much-needed assistance. “We will be exploring the process and encouraging our athletes to make an application so they can be considered,” Blake told The Gleaner. “We haven’t heard any specifics as to how to go about it as yet but we will be encouraging the athletes to make an application to us and we will forward it to the parent body to see what can be done.”
Blake’s guidance on having the submissions sent to the federation comes in line with World Athletics’ intention to deliver the assistance, as Coe will chair a “multiregional working group” which will include members of the World Athletics executive, IAF board and the World Athletics Athletes Commission in assessing applications, which will be submitted through the body’s six area associations.
“Things usually go through the federation. I don’t think that they (World Athletics) would encourage the athletes to apply directly but rather apply through the federations, and then the federations will send it on to the parent body,” he said.
Meanwhile, Coe expressed his gratitude to Olympic 1500m champion and world record holder Hicham El Guerrouj, who first suggested the idea, and honorary IAF president, Prince Albert II of Monaco, in facilitating the initiative, which he hopes will give struggling athletes the relief they need.
“Our professional athletes rely on prize money as part of their income, and we’re mindful that our competition season on both the track and road is being severely impacted by the pandemic. We are hopeful that we will be able to stage at least some competition later this year, but in the meantime, we will also endeavour through this fund and additional monies we intend to seek through the friends of our sport to help as many athletes as possible,” he said.
Among the many events that were postponed due to the pandemic are seven meets on the Diamond League circuit and events on the World Continental Tour in May and June, including the Racers Grand Prix, which was postponed earlier this month.