Big monies coming for sporting personalities, bodies

Ryon Jones,  Staff Reporter

Golden Resorts Developments unveils $multimillion master plan

Various local sporting bodies and individual sporting personalities are set to reap significant financial benefits from a housing development to be built in Upton, St Ann, by Golden Resorts (GR) Development Company Limited.

Construction is earmarked to commence early next year, while the units will go on sale three months prior. The development, which will be known as the Golden Resorts of Jamaica, will be separated into three units: Upton Gold - condos and Upton Worlds - semi-detached villas. The third's name was withheld, but is likely to be named after a world-acclaimed athlete.

GR Developments, which is chaired by Owen Brodber, intends to build 42 units to the tune of approximately US$27.15m. A total of US$2.7m will be set aside for the purpose of recognising world-acclaimed performances by the country's sportspersons and incentives for other world-class achievements in sports.

"It is really an inspiration we hope is coming from high, because how it all started is that a vision came to me at 4:45 one morning after Jamaica had done very well at the 2009 World Championships in Berlin," Brodber revealed during a press conference to announce the awards and incentives yesterday at the Terra Nova All Suite Hotel.

"What motivated us to make these awards and incentives, I think, is an inspiration again, because we wanted to do something for Jamaica that was taking the superlative performances of Jamaica on the world scene, to elevate it that others may see it," he added.

US$1m (approx J$85m) will be set aside from the net proceeds of the Upton Gold Developments to recognise the athletes' gold medal performances in Beijing, Berlin, Daegu and London.

Four persons who have world acclaimed performances are set to benefit from the Upton Worlds development, as they will each be awarded 25 per cent of the price of one unit. Each unit will be sold for a minimum of US$900,000. The names of the prospective recipients were not disclosed, but one is said to be a non-Jamaican who has multiple world records.

Another US$800,000 is to be allocated from the net proceeds of the Upton Worlds development to provide awards and incentives for other world-acclaimed achievements.

World records

The breakdown for this will see an incentive of US$200,000 for the Reggae Boyz to qualify for the 2014 World Cup Finals in Brazil; incentive of US$100,000 for the netballers to come within the top three at the 2015 World Netball Championships in Sydney, Australia; US$100,000 to be awarded to the Jamaica Cricket Association for winning five consecutive WICB Regional Four-Day competitions; provision of US$150,000 for world records in 2012; US$50,000 to the International Federation of Netball Association president, Molly Rhone, for being the only Jamaican to preside over an international body; and US$200,000 to the Ministry of Sports for recognising other Jamaican world-acclaimed sportspersonas.

The company also has grand plans for a Sports and Entertainment Extravaganza (SEE), which will feature five of the world's most popular sports (athletics, football, cricket, tennis and basketball) and will see the top personalities and teams from the various disciplines participating.

The extravaganza will be held over a weekend in 2013, here in Jamaica. An entertainment programme is expected to be interspersed between the sporting events and will feature top local and international artistes.

"Even though it (SEE) is registered it is something to be done in 2013 and it is something to be done for Jamaica," Brodber said. "We can't go into details because it is in its embryonic stage."

ryon.jones@gleanerjm.com