The Amateur Swimming Association of Jamaica (ASAJ) on Tuesday received much needed assistance from the Jamaica Olympic Association (JOA) to offset expenses in getting teams to the Central American and Caribbean Swimming Confederation (CCCAN) Championships.

With Jamaica set to be represented in three of the five aquatic disciplines at the biennial Championships to be held in Trinidad & Tobago, the JOA has contributed US$10,000 to the campaign.

Teams will depart the island on various dates to participate in swimming, water polo and synchronised swimming at the championships which will climax on July 2, and also serves as a qualifier for the IAAF World Championships in London in August.

A water polo delegation departed yesterday for competition from June 22 to 28; the 30th staging of the Swimming Championships will run June 28-July 2, while the 23rd Synchronised Swimming Championships and Open Water Swimming will go from June 29 to July 2.

The 31st diving competition will also run June 29-July 2; however, Jamaica’s Olympian Yona Knight-Wisdom is unable to make the trip for this championship.

Handel Lamey, president of ASAJ, had high praises for the increased level of participation from Jamaica’s aquatics, while expressing gratitude to the JOA for its significant contribution.

“The JOA are the ones that assist us from time to time to attend championships like these and so I would like to say a big thank you. One of the things that we wanted to do, and we have not done it in a long time, is have all our teams together before going off to a championships and we are able to do that now,” Lamey said, while addressing those in attendance at a meet-and-greet at the National Aquatic Centre.

“This is a higher-level competition with higher qualifying standard and this year we have had quite a number of our swimmers qualifying for this championships, but we will only be having 16 participants. Most of our other senior swimmers who qualified for this championship are in preparation for other meets such as Junior Commonwealth and World Championships,” he explained.

Lamey added that there are high expectations for a number of swimmers and representatives in the other disciplines with vast potential of doing exceptionally well at this prestigious championship.

“For me it is a great pleasure to be seeing this number of participation at this level. Two years ago at CCCAN we did not have so many swimmers going, so this is a significant step and I think swimming is moving in the right direction in Jamaica because we are increasing our numbers and the quality in our swimming,” noted Lamey.

He continued: “Water polo is also very significant for us. We are sending two teams this time and we hope that they will be able to repeat or do even better than how they did at Carifta. They have put in the work and we know they are ready.

“Finally, for quite a number of years we have not participated at major competitions from a synchronised swimming perspective and so that is another significant feat. It was my wish that we would have been able to participate in a fourth discipline which is diving, but unfortunately that was not possible this time around.

Meanwhile, presidential candidate and current vice-president of JOA Vishnu Tolan lauded the swimming association for its consistent growth over the years.

“Swimming is very dear to us at the Jamaica Olympic Association; last year at the Olympics we had two swimmers and a diver in competition and when you look at the Olympic sports two sports jump out at us every time: track and field and swimming,” said Tolan.

He added: “So whatever it is you are doing, you are doing something good. The president just mentioned five the last time we went to the CCCAN and now 16; that is a major improvement.

“I am looking at you youngsters and I am certain it would be nicer to be home hanging with friends and all, but I know that you are going to be in this pool early in the morning training and the parents need to be proud….you are the biggest sponsors and supporters of swimming.”