JAMFIT cheerleaders eye Olympics

Jamaica's national cheerleading team has their eyes set on participating in the next Olympics. According to Karelle Ashley-Jones, founder of JAMFIT (Jamaica Fitness Association) and pioneer of the local cheerleading championships, "JAMFIT is an organisation responsible for the development of cheerleading in Jamaica." Established in 1998, it now has its largest number of teams competing in the competition, which began 11 years ago in 2002.

JAMFIT has cheerleading programmes in primary and prep schools, as well as secondary and tertiary institutions, ensuring that gymnastic and stunting abilities are cultivated in children from a young age. The mandate of the association is to also ensure that the teams are on par with their international rivals.

JAMFIT's All Star Teams have their sights set on the Olympics and are even more determined because of the positive vote by the SportAccord General Assembly held recently in St Petersburg, which ratified cheerleading as an official sport. According to Ashley-Jones, "This is so exciting for us at JAMFIT and for all schools and teams at the All Star level, because it means that cheerleading can take us to the Olympics - it doesn't all stop when you leave school." said Ashley-Jones.

JAMFIT and the global cheerleading community are now eagerly anticipating the addition of the newly named sport of cheerleading to the roster of Olympic events.

The secretary general of the ICU, Karl Olson extended congratulations to JAMFIT on their "wonderful efforts and successes in promoting (their) athletes, coaches and the sport of cheer around the world".

On Saturday, July 6, JAMFIT hosted their 11th Annual Cheerleading Championship Finals at the National Indoor Sports Centre from where cheerleading teams represented schools from all over the island for the coveted title of cheerleading champions. For this year's exciting staging popular singer, Omi, joined the judges panel.