President of the Jamaica Olympic Association (JOA), Christopher Samuda, has advanced his cause to place the country among destinations for prime sport-related events.

Only recently, Samuda announced plans to engage world-class cricketing ground, Sabina Park as an option for international matchups featuring the island’s top rugby players and its national team, the reggae Crocs. Now, the JOA president is keen to promote Jamaica’s global competence in hosting sporting conferences, following on the heels of the just-concluded Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) regional conference at Iberostar Hotel in Montego Bay, St James.

Referring to the conference, Samuda said: “It establishes Jamaica as a preferred established venue for conferences and also the attendees have indicated that they would want a repeat in Jamaica.”

The conference brought together members of the British Commonwealth in the Caribbean and Americas, and Samuda pointed out that some would have visited Jamaica before and would have been encouraged on the basis of past experiences, thus increasing the country’s attraction for future meetings. This, he said, would bring additional benefits.

“I am hoping that we’ll not only be able to host the regional, but also a Commonwealth Games Federation conference in the future. That, of course, will have tremendous benefits for Jamaica, in terms of tourism, in terms of establishing Jamaica as an international venue for conferences, and also to ensure that our own people who are here are exposed to the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) in a very intimate way and will be part of the deliberations in the open sessions,” explained Samuda.

JOA General Secretary Ryan Foster said the conference represents many firsts for his association.

“It’s the first time in the modern era that Jamaica, which is also a [member of the] commonwealth games association, would’ve been the host country for this important conference. I think the conference represents a first for Jamaica, similarly to last year when, for the first time, we had many sporting associations qualifying for the Commonwealth Games, the CAC Games, and for the first time we’ve had many new sponsors on board for the JOA,” highlighted Foster.

He added: “The conference has been very historic in itself and it’s very historic for me, as CEO and general secretary and for the JOA to have been the host and key administrators in the execution of a successful conference.

“The feedback from the Commonwealth Games Federation president, Dame Louise Martin, and CEO David Grevemberg has been very positive for the Jamaican contingent,” said Foster. “First and foremost, we’re at the Iberostar and the facilities are exceptional. We hosted the Jamaica Night where we showcased the Jamaican culture, the importance of sport and the integration of sports tourism and how we market ourselves in gaining sponsorships for our sporting associations.”