Small team, big performances for Ja at Youth Parapan Games
Published:Tuesday | June 13, 2023 | 12:46 AMOrane Buchanan/Staff Reporter
A SMALL Jamaican team produced some big performances at the recently concluded 2023 Youth Parapan American Games in Bogota, Colombia.
Five athletes brought back four medals, inclusive of two gold medals, a silver, and a bronze medal from the Games. In the men’s under-20 T45-47 100 metres, Jamaica’s duo of Jonathan Ferguson and Jahmarley Richards took the top two medal spots in 11.43 and 11.61 seconds, respectively.
Richards followed up that performance by copping the gold in the final of the men’s under-20 T45-47 400 metres in 52.92 seconds while an injured Jahmarley Richards had to settle for fifth spot. Theodore Thomas, Jamaica’s youngest representative, also produced a valiant effort by securing a bronze medal in the men’s under-17 T20 400m. The country’s two other competitors, Christopher Bourne narrowly missed out on medals in the men’s under-20 long jump and shot put finals while Aaliyah Bailey also did very well in the final of the women’s shot put.
Neville Sinclair, head coach of the team, believes more will be coming from the group that represented the country.
“The athletes are coming into their own and are being inspired to take up the torch and keep the light burning,” Sinclair stated.
Silver medallist Richards, who was representing Jamaica for the first time, stated that following his debut at the Parapan Games, he is already eyeing representing the country at another stage similar to this.
“It was a great first-time experience, and we are looking forward to being together in the future,” Richards said.
Christopher Samuda, president of the Jamaica Paralympic Association, said that based on the number of representatives along with having four debutantes, Jamaica’s performance was outstanding and that the governing body would continue to do their best in helping these young athletes transition seamlessly to the international stage.
“With regard to the size of the team and the fact that we only had one member of the team that had experience at international games, I think we did exceptionally well,”Samuda said. Ferguson was the only athlete with international experience. He represented the country at last year’s Commonwealth Games.
Samuda added that he was optimistic about Jamaica’s continued improvement on the Paralympic stage.
“We continue to fight the battle, fully cognisant of the confidence which we are instilling in Jamaica Para sport ambassadors,” he added.