Cleats Awards to honour nation’s top athletes
THE Jamaica Amateur Athletics Association (JAAA) and the Scotia Group are collaborating to host the inaugural Golden Cleats Awards to recognise the nation’s top athletes and coaches, in addition to raising funds to replenish outdated equipment.
Nominations are currently being reviewed by the JAAA’s selection panel ahead of the ceremony, which is scheduled for January 8, on the lawns of Jamaica House.
Senior vice-president of wealth management and CEO of Scotia DBG Investments Limited Anya Schnoor told the Observer that her company jumped at the opportunity to assist the JAAA.
“Scotiabank group has come to the assistance of the JAAA in response to their plea for financial aid in upgrading training equipment in these local facilities,” Schnoor said, noting that Scotia was hoping to raise $1.5 million at the awards function to assist with upgrading the equipment.
“Equipment now in use at these locations are outdated and in need of urgent repairs and replacement,” Schnoor added.
President of the JAAA Howard Aris says the pieces of equipment, which include hurdles, display indicators, lap counters and photo finish equipment among others, have been in use for a number of years.
“We have had problems over the years when we move them around the island, as we must, for all our development meets… they get damaged and sometimes we are embarrassed that we don’t have equipment at particular meets, so what this will do, is afford us to have back-up equipment that we can keep for special events, like our National Championships, the Jamaica Invitational and Boys’ and Girls’ Champs,” Aris said.
“At the same time we have to have enough of the used ones to go around the island because we recognise that our equipment is being used excessively around the island because some weekends we have as much as five meets all at once,” he added.
In the meantime, Heather Goldson, Scotia Group’s senior vice-president
of corporate and public affairs, indicated that esteemed Jamaican artist Laura Facey has been commissioned to create the Golden Cleats Award.
