BY DANIA BOGLE

Observer staff reporter

JAMAICA has reaped mountains of success in track and field at the Olympic Games and now the Government is hoping to expand those fortunes into other disciplines.

Minister without portfolio with responsibility for Sport Natalie Neita-Headley, who attended the 2012 London Games, told the Jamaica Observer that it was one of the things she noted while in the United Kingdom.

“It’s one of the things that struck me the greatest while being there, that we have not been involved in areas that we are known to be traditionally good at,” Neita-Headley said.

She added: “Why can’t we be in beach volleyball more and why can’t we be stronger at table tennis, etc.”

To date Jamaica has only competed in a handful of sports at the Olympic Games, namely badminton, bobsled, boxing, cycling, equestrian, track and field, ski, swimming and tae kwon do.

Outside of track and field the only medal the country has won at the Olympics was a bronze in men’s cycling claimed by David Weller in 1980.

“I think that one of the things that we have to do as the Sports Development Foundation (SDF), as the government, is to ensure that we are seeking to diversify the number of areas and the number of sporting disciplines that we’re going to be involved in.

“We have proven that we can do it. I think it’s going to be just a matter of focus and programming.”

Swimmers Janelle Atkinson and Alia Atkinson have come the closest to medalling, finishing fourth in respective events at the 2004 Athens and 2012 London Games.

However, the success has come with a heavy price tag.

“I think what Alia has done is opened a world to swimming and the swimming possibilities for Jamaica. I believe that whatever it is that we involve ourselves in, once there is focus and application we should be able to do it,” said Neita-Headley.

“I think that Alia’s work should serve as a catalyst for us to go more in-depth in swimming and to allow for there to be more support given to those associations which plan swimming activities.”

Kenneth Edwards became the first Jamaican to qualify for tae kwon do at this year’s games but did not make it past the first round.

“Martial arts in Jamaica is one of those sports which is supported by the Government, but primarily by parents. We are recognising that each activity that we participate in, we do well,” said the minister.

“For Kenneth Edwards to even have a foot on that humongous Chinese guy is really something that we have to go back to the drawing board to see how best we can allow Jamaica to participate more widely in the areas that we don’t consider to be conventional,” said Neita-Headley.

As for future plans, the minister said: “The associations are doing a fantastic job and I believe that the SDF at this time is requiring for associations to submit development plans for the next four/five years. It means therefore that we can be involved as a government at the level of the planning and development.”