BY ANDREW HANCEL

Observer writer

IT cost local organisers approximately $10 million to host the XX Pan-American Junior Badminton Championships, which ended on Sunday.

The disclosure was made by chairman of the local organising committee (LOC), David Mais, who said it was a wise investment.

“We’ve had great help from companies like Royal Computers who provided the IT equipment… JUTC has discounted the cost for transportation and the hotels have come in with an excellent package. It’s just under $10 million, but the benefits to Jamaica far exceed that amount,” he said.

“We don’t pay for the accommodation and meal. What we as a host country pays for is the venue, the transportation and provide volunteers. Therefore, what you looking at is 700 people here that are staying in rooms and they’re either eating meals at the hotels or going to restaurants in New Kingston… and believe you me, I have seen restaurants that are very full in the afternoon, so I know. And everyone has come back to say how pleased they are to be here,”

Mais added.

The state-run Sports Development Foundation (SDF), which Mais served as chairman, donated $3.5 million towards Jamaica hosting the

one-week event, with $1 million each in additional funding from Wata and CB Chicken.

Mais said that actual planning for the tournament, said to be the largest and best badminton tournament ever for Jamaica, started a year ago following discussions between Sports Minister Olivia ‘Babsy’ Grange and Vishu Tolan, president of the Jamaica Badminton Association (JBA).

“It happened because a number of us felt that badminton deserved to do something in return for the assistance that they got from the government of Jamaica,” explained the LOC boss.

The local badminton association didn’t disappoint, and one of the legacies from hosting this prestigious tournament is that the regional badminton body has urged Jamaica to bid for a world event.

“The Pan-Am Federation said to us that they would be pleased to receive a bid from Jamaica in time for hosting the World Junior Badminton Championship… and the venue could either be Kingston or Montego Bay,” Mais said.

Last year, Mexico became the first and only nation from the Americas to host the World Junior Badminton Championships, with Chinese Taipei playing host to this year’s

13th edition.

The fact that Jamaica is likely to bid to host the event in 2012, and with the expected support, they stand a good chance of success.

The high expectations, says Mais, indicate the level of competence that exists in organising events and the type of impact we’ve had on our visitors and players.

“What it’s telling you is that we have people who are extremely competent in what they do,” said Mais. “We have people that have been coaching for 20 years and now doing development work. These are professionals in their respective fields that are saying to us ‘we in Jamaica have shown them that we are very good at hosting events’.”

Jamaica won a gold and five bronze medals to end fourth behind the US, Canada and Brazil. Sixteen teams participated.