CAPTAIN Horace Burrell, president of the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF), is asking for the Order of Merit (OM), the nation’s fourthhighest honour, to be bestowed on athletics legend Usain St Leo Bolt following the sprinter’s exploits at the recently concluded Beijing World Championships in China.

The call was made yesterday at the launch of the 2015-2016 Red Stripe Premier League competition at the JFF headquarters in New Kingston.

And, at the same time, former prime minister and current chairman of the Premier League Clubs Asociation (PLCA) Edward Seaga has called for the athletics team to be officiallly recognised as being a Brand Jamaica.

“Let me pause here to recognise the tremendous performances over there in Beijing by Jamaican athletes,” said Captain Burrell, as he addressed stakeholders in his opening remarks.

“It’s incredible, you know, sitting there, and in fact watching the performance of our athletes and listening to some of the commentators and what they had to say… when you listen to the commentators on the international circuit and the kind of respect that has been given to our athletes and by extension our country, it’s just incredible.

And we need to understand, my dear friends, the power of sports, so sponsors, having joined, it’s a great opportunity for you and your product.

“Having said that, I want to use this opportunity this morning to make a very strong recommendation to the powers that be, the Government, the governor general, or whomever, to bestow at the appropriate time the Order of Merit upon Usain St Leo Bolt. He’s deserving of it,” noted Burrell.

Bolt wracked up three gold medals in the 100m, 200m, and the 4x100m relays to lead Jamaica to second on the medals table with 12, including a record seven gold, two silver and three bronze.

Kenya were the surprise winners, also on seven gold medals, but with six silver and three bronze, while the mighty United States of America could only finish in third place with six gold, six silver and six bronze.

“Usain Bolt has to be one of the greatest Jamaicans that has lived, is living, believe me; and I believe that young man deserves all the accolades that can be bestowed upon him at this time,” added Captain Burrell.

According to the Government of Jamaica website, under the Office of the Prime Minister, it was revealed that the honour of the Order of Merit may be conferred upon any citizen of Jamaica or distinguished citizen of a country other than Jamaica (an honorary member) who has achieved eminent international distinction in the field of science, the arts, literature or any other endeavour.

It is not conferred upon more than two persons in any one year.

The motto of the Order is “He that does truth comes into the light”, and a member of the Order is styled “The Honourable”. Bolt currently holds the Order of Jamaica (OJ) rank, and became the youngest Jamaican ever to receive this honour.

He has also been given the right to be called “ambassador” with full diplomatic privileges, including a diplomatic passport.

But though he shone brightest of the 53-member team at the 15th edition of the World Championships inside the Bird’s Nest stadium, where he returned to strike triple gold like he did seven years ago at the Olympic Games, the extraordinary exploits of the others, including Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, Danielle Williams, Elaine Thompson, Shericka Jackson, Veronica Campbell-Brown, O’Dayne Richards, Hansle Parchment, and the men’s and women’s 4x100m relay teams, plus the women’s 4x400m relay team, is deserving of being recognised as being Brand Jamaica, noted the former Prime Minister.

“In fact the song that was played at the time the team took the field or was in the presence, the words of it are lifting our spirits to understand that we have arrived at being a brand,” reasoned Seaga.

He added: “It is time that the athletics team of Jamaica be given the recognition of being a Brand Jamaica, and finding specific ways to denote that, rather than just saying that it should be. “We’ve been saying it should for three years now, this is the fourth, and it is time for it to be officially stated,” he urged.

— Ian Burnett