Mayberry, JOA, Gymnastics Jamaica series to lift sport
THERE IS much hope and excitement that the development of Jamaica’s junior gymnastics will spring to another development, with the i naugural Mayberry Gymnastics Strength & Skill Testing Series.
More than 100 youngsters, aged five years and older, are participating at the first event in the series, which was scheduled to begin yesterday at 5:00 p.m. and run through to tomorrow, at the National Gymnastics Training Centre, at 1 Slipe Road in Kingston.
The series will take place in quarterly installments for the next four years, courtesy of a joint effort by Mayberry Investments, who have invested one million dollars, the Jamaica Olympic Association ( JOA) and the National Gymnastics Federation of Jamaica.
“This event is the first in a series to aid in the national junior development process and will continuously test the readiness of our athletes, as part of a four-year cycle, for the Olympic programme. In other words, this series is critical to the success and growth of our budding gymnasts,” remarked Gary Peart, CEO, Mayberry Investments.
“Mayberry wants to witness the honing of this sort of talent on the local stage so that we can make a big impact on the world stage. Jamaicans are known for being ‘likkle but tallawah’ and this is just another shining example that we are a force to be reckoned with,” he added.
As a main feature, all participants in the training event will be awarded a medal.
“Mayberry is particularly happy that all the athletes involved will be awarded with medals at the end of the testing series, because we believe that all efforts are valid, from the smallest to biggest,” he said.
Ryan Foster, Secretary General/CEO of the JOA, expressed, “The JOA is pleased to have brokered this deal under our JOA/ Mayberry partnership that was established in 2019. The sport of gymnastics will be one of the sport that will be representing Jamaica at this summer’s Olympics and we are pleased with the trendsetting work done by President Grant-Brown and her team.
SESSIONS TIMELINE
All told there will be five sessions, which includes the first that was scheduled to end at 7:00 p.m. yesteriday, followed by a 30-minute awards ceremony. Sessions two, three and four are slated for 9:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m, 12:15 p.m.-2:30 p.m. and 3:00-5:30 p.m., respectively, today; while Session five will run from 9:00 a.m.-1:30 p.m. tomorrow. The final half-hour in each session is reserved for awards presentations.
Former national hockey president and now President of Gymnastics, Nicole GrantBrown, praised the effort of their partners and noted the impact of their support.
“Mayberry Investments is shining a light on us that is certainly helping us to have hope. Jamaica Gymnastics is in its growth stage and like any child, we need help to grow and with a good support system we can grow big and strong. We are happy and elated that the vision of the Jamaica Olympic Association is wide enough to recognise that gymnastics, which is seen in Jamaica as a minor sport, requires partnerships of this nature to make it major and will one day be placed in its rightful position as one of Jamaica’s most consistent Olympic sport and most participated by our youth in this country.
“Already we have made two consecutive Olympic Games, 2016 and 2021, and the sport has not yet reached its maturity stage,” Grant-Brown added.