Anderson targets 10 events for 2016 Olympics
Published:Thursday | August 30, 2012 | 12:00 AM
Ryon Jones, Staff Reporter
Jamaica's Chef de Mission to the 2012 London Olympic Games, Donald Anderson, believes the nation has the potential to be represented in a minimum of 10 events at the 2016 Olympics Games, which will be staged in Rio, Brazil.
Jamaica achieved their best-ever medal haul at this year's staging of the quadrennial global showpiece, after capturing a total of 12 medals (four gold, four silver, four bronze),; all of which were won in track and field.
The country, however, also had a representative in swimming, tae-kwon-do and equestrian, who all gave creditable performances.
"One of the passions I have is to be able to grow a number of other sports to the point where we are competing in 10 or 12 disciplines across the broad," Anderson shared while speaking at the weekly Kiwanis Club of Kingston Luncheon Meeting on Tuesday at the Wyndham Kingston hotel.
Anderson, who was heading a delegation to the Olympics for the fourth consecutive occasion and is also the chairman of the Institute of Sports, believes his dream is a very realistic one.
"It is by no means far-fetched, because we have competed in table tennis, badminton and boxing at previous Olympic Games and, therefore, if we add those to the four in London we have seven already," Anderson outlined. "I believe things like beach volleyball, table tennis and women's basketball are the immediate ones that could be added in Rio."
In order for his dream to come true, he thinks a joint effort is needed between the Government and the private sector, as he does not believe sports is currently getting the support it should in Jamaica.
"We are talking about a serious collaboration between the private sector and the Government to ensure that we can have the resources to build upon where we are right now," Anderson said.
"It would be a shame if, come Rio, we find that we don't have the kind of representation not only in track and field, but other sports as well," he added.
Anderson is cognisant that we might not immediately start winning medals outside of track and field, but is of the view that the medals will come eventually.
"We are not saying right now we are going to win medals, because we know it is a quantum leap at the highest level, but that we can be represented and we know we will eventually do well in a number of other sports," Anderson said.
"So I believe that what we should be doing right now is targeting at least 10 other sports disciplines that we, in fact, can compete in well in Rio," he added.