Grange lauds gym equipment at Emancipation Park
MINISTER OF Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport Olivia Grange says that gym equipment donated by China Harbour Engineering Company to Emancipation Park will go a far way in building a culture of physical activeness in Jamaica, which is one of the goals of her ministry.
The minister was speaking at a ceremony last Wednesday morning at Emancipation Park where the equipment was officially handed over.
Grange said that the donation supported the ministry’s goal for a more active and healthier society as outlined in the National Sport Policy. The policy is geared at fostering greater participation in sports, promoting of intellectual and physical health, enhancing social and economic well-being, and creating a healthier and more productive labour force.
Grange said that critical to achieving the goal of having three-quarters of the population competing in at least 30 minutes of sporting activity three times per week is improving access to sports facilities. It is for this reason that “last year, through the Sports Development Foundation, we spent more than J$300 million on infrastructure development, which included the construction of fields, courts, and tracks in schools and communities across the country,” said Grange.
“We are pleased to see that many Jamaicans are making good use of their community facilities as they heed the call to get more physically active. We can all do something to improve our own health. It could be as simple as a brisk walk in the evenings in our communities or here at Emancipation Park, which has developed a good reputation as the place to go after work to work on our physical health,” the minister said.
Grange thanked China Harbour Engineering Company for the equipment, which will be used by members of the public who go to Emancipation Park to exercise.