Grange: Sports museum to bring many benefits

As Jamaica gets ready to celebrate 60 years of independence, Sports Minister Olivia Grange says Jamaicans and tourists alike are to reap many benefits from a sports museum which is set to be built on lands close to the National Stadium.

“It will be an attraction for visitors and Jamaicans alike and it will tell our story,” Grange told The Gleaner at the recent JAAA National Senior and Junior Championships.

The sports minister said Jamaica is also planning to reap economic benefits from the facility.

“It will be at the centre of sports tourism,” she said.

However, she said the main goal is to keep Jamaica’s sporting legacy alive.

“It is important because history is important, heritage is important and for generations to come,” Grange said. “We must ensure that we leave a legacy that they will be able to say from where we have come and be able to vision where we are going.”

Grange said one way in which the sports museum will keep Jamaica’s sporting achievements fresh in the minds of people is through the display of artefacts.

COLLECTING ARTEFACTS

She said the Government has made progress in collecting many artefacts from sports of all genres and not just the traditionally played sports.

“Anyone in sports that has run for Jamaica, played for Jamaica, kicked for Jamaica; all the disciplines in sports will be showcased in that museum,” she said.

The building of this museum has been at the planning stage for many years but now the sports minister says they have been making progress recently as the facility is a major part of the ‘Jamaica 60’ commemorative activities.

“We are establishing a sports museum (but) it won’t physically be up this year, but we have started work, we have started a collection, we have a design and we are going through the process,” Grange said.

She said they have also identified an area to build the museum and they have chosen a space on Arthur Wint Drive.

“We will break ground in the Independence Park area near the Bob Marley statue ,” she said.

Funding has also been set aside for the project as a sum of $15 million will be used to move the project forward, according to Minister Grange.

She said in order to increase the speed of the process, they have shifted the responsibility to another office.

“It falls under the Sports Division, but in order to expedite the process we have now shifted it to the Commemorative and Special Events Unit, and we will be treating it as a Jamaica 60 project,” she said.

With the responsibilities of culture also falling under her portfolio as a minister, she said this project is very important to her as it is not only sports, but a part of Jamaican culture.

“Sport is a major part of our culture. I call sports physical culture,” Minister Grange said.