JOA hunting ‘best talent’ for management teams

The Jamaica Olympic Association (JOA) has put out another call for applications for its management teams to the various regional and international games, both summer and winter, for the period 2025 to 2029.

JOA President Christopher Samuda said “sport is a professional undertaking and a critical element is policy selection which searches for the best talent who wish an opportunity to serve their country and to manage, not only talent but also their aspirations as they strive for excellence. It’s an outgrowth of corporate governance in sport”.

Noted corporate personalities who are involved in sport and preside as chief executive officers and shareholders of companies which are critical players in the nation’s gross domestic product, as well as persons who are seasoned sport administrators, have been given the green light from the JOA to manage its teams.

“It is simply this: our country deserves the best talent and at the JOA this is not only a philosophy but a modus operandi that continues to define who we are and those to whom we commit the nation’s business in sport,” JOA Secretary-General and CEO Ryan Foster said.

GROWING INTEREST

Over the last five years, a noticeable growing interest in sport management through activations JOA offers in its “Stamina” educational product and IOC’s Solidarity Advanced Sport Management Course has confirmed in President Samuda’s mind that the decision taken, upon this administration assuming office, that no director of the JOA shall serve on its games management team was right.

“There are so many professionals who want to table their talent, who wish a games experience as they self-actualise in sport in the nation’s interest. So give them a chance to embrace, as we are doing as directors, the Olympic experience,” he remarked.

As Chairman of the Games Commission of the JOA and a member of the Technical Commission of Centro Caribe Sports that owns the oldest and largest regional multi-sport games, the Central American and Caribbean Games, Secretary-General Foster makes it known “that if you wish to earn confidence in your selection, you must not technically or otherwise, play games but open the sport to those who wish meaningfully to play, change and transform the game”.

Some assert that sport being a science, its management must therefore be objective and results driven. This finds favour with President Samuda “for the JOA it’s not ‘eeny, meeny, miny, moe’ or ‘riddle me this or riddle me that’ in selecting persons. There is no guessing me this riddle and perhaps not. It’s all about, as I have said on many occasions and in various fora, forensically and discerningly unearthing servant leadership that understands objectively that you commit not to yourself but to others and a country”.

A notice on the JOA’s website indicates that the selection process will begin after the Paris 2024 Olympic Games which will be held this year between July 26 and August 11.