World Athletics president Sebastian Coe has pledged support and resources from the governing body to Jamaica in the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa, which devastated parts of the nation in October and November.
Coe, who was in Jamaica this week ahead of the world cross country championships in Tallahassee, said $100,000 in financial assistance through the International Athletics Foundation and World Athletics will support a new 5K road race in April in the country to help raise additional funds.
“During my time here, we have looked at how World Athletics and the International Athletics Foundation can best support redevelopment efforts both financially and through programs delivered in conjunction with the Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association, and with the support of NACAC Athletics, to help athletes continue to train and compete,” Coe said.
The country still in a recovery and rebuild phase following the extensive damage cause by the hurricane, with many of its track and field athletes immediately leading relief efforts at critical impact points of the storm. The Category 5 hurricane pounded the island with 185 mile per hour winds and crippled infrastructure which resulted in over 50 deaths.
Nearly 150,000 structures were destroyed by the storm with over 120,000 suffering major damage to roofs and windows in addition to wrecking 100,000 acres of farmland. Over 1.5 million people were affected in the weeks after the storm.
“Our funding will be allocated to areas such as transport and accommodation to ensure impacted athletes have access to facilities for training and competition, and replacement of equipment, rather than infrastructure, considering that this is a local and national government responsibility,” Coe said. “We should not underestimate the power of sport, and especially athletics as the mother of all sports and Jamaica’s national pastime, to help the people overcome the challenges Hurricane Melissa has presented, and its role in helping to rebuild the nation, to help return to a semblance of normality, to energize the population, and to improve mental health and promote resilience in the face of such adversity.”
During his three-day visit, Coe met with Jamaican prime minister Andrew Holness and opposition leader Mark Golding and the country’s sports minister Olivia Grange.
