Fennell wants increased participation for Jamaica at Olympics

President of the Jamaica Olympic Association Mike Fennell speaks during the Jamaica – A Nation on a Mission Welcomes Olympic Fans to Jamaica House at O2 Arena on August 3, 2012 in London, England. (Getty Images )

Kingston (Jamaica), July 8 (IANS): Jamaica Olympic Association (JOA) president Mike Fennell wants to help increase his country’s participation at future Olympics.

Fennell recently disclosed his agenda when he indicated that he would not seek re-election after his new four-year term expires.

Fennell, now into his 37th year at the helm of the JOA, was re-elected last month.

“Over the next four years we will have challenges and the main business of the JOA is to ensure we have good participation at all games that will take place between now and 2016,” said the former Commonwealth Games Federation chief.

“The JOA has a new Olympic Solidarity programme being launched by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and we have an opportunity to introduce some new types of training and assistance for the development of our athletes, coaches, medical personnel.”

Fennell said that his new executive is prepared to play its role in the further development of the National Sports Policy.

“We will continue to play the role on the national level in terms of how effective the new National Sports Policy can be… what areas of weaknesses that the policy may have and can be strengthened and how we can work with the government to ensure that sports continue to play a major role in the development of our country,” he said.

Jamaica, before the Rio Olympics in 2016, will participate in the Commonwealth Games in Scotland 2014 and Pan Am Games in Toronto 2015.