Track and field dominates Sportsman and Sportswoman nominees
Published:Thursday | November 30, 2023 | 12:12 AMOrane Buchanan/Staff Reporter
THE NOMINEES for the 2023 RJRGLEANER Communications Group National Sportsman and Sportswoman of the Year awards will be dominated by athletes from track and field.
The nominees were announced on Wednesday by Mike Fennell, chairman of the Selection Committee, at a press conference held at the TVJ studios.
The five nominees for Sportswoman of the Year are Rushell Clayton, Jhaniele Fowler, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, Shericka Jackson, and Danielle Williams, while the contenders for Sportsman of the Year are Tajay Gayle, Jaheel Hyde, Fraser McConnell, Hansle Parchment, and Wayne Pinnock.
Shericka Jackson’s 21.41 clocking to win the women’s 200 metres, Shamar Nicholson’s opening goal against Canada, Drew Spence’s freekick against Canada, Antonio Watson’s 400-metre-gold-medal run at the 2023 World Athletics Championships, and Danielle Williams’ gold-medal-performance in the women’s 100-metre hurdles final were nominated for the People’s Choice Awards.
The awards ceremony will be held at The Jamaica Pegasus hotel on January 19, 2024.
Mike Fennell, chairman of the selection panel, pointed out that track and field dominated the nominations because the athletes were doing well on the world stage. Fennell added that other sporting bodies would have to use track and field as a marker and elevate themselves in order to achieve the recognition they deserve.
“Track and field athletes are performing well at the world level, and you cannot deny that. In the past, look at the record, boxing used to dominate. Those sports need to look at themselves and bring themselves up to the same level as track and field,” said Fennell.
Nine of the 11 athletes nominated were from the sport of track and field, with the other two, Jhaniele Fowler, coming from netball, and Fraser McConnell, from the sport of motor racing. Fennell added that the performances of Jamaica’s athletes have overshadowed some of the challenges in the country and praised Fraser McConnell’s nomination.
“The performances of our athletes have overshadowed that and allowed us as a country to have a good image. Motorsport isn’t easy, but he has, through his own connections, provided himself with those resources, and it shows that we have the talent to do great things in many different sports, and what he’s done is phenomenal,” said Fennell.
Gary Allen, chairman of the RJRGLEANER Sports Foundation, said it was of paramount importance that the performances of our leading sportsmen and women be highlighted.
“We are powerhouses on the global stage in terms of the accomplishments that we have. So it’s very pleasing for us to highlight this, recognise and call attention to the fact that we’re doing all of these outstanding things positively on the global stage,” said Allen.
Allen also added that Jamaica should be proud of the accomplishments of the athletes, which he refers to as “pots of excellence”.
“We need to pause in Jamaica and recognise that amidst all the other challenges we have to contend with, we really have these pots of excellence that we should be proud of.”