KINGSTON, Jamaica — Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, Olivia Grange says a multi-purpose court for the playing of netball, basketball and volley ball has been erected at Troy Primary School in Trelawny which is to be renamed after Jamaican track icon Veronica Campbell-Brown.

Grange made the announcement in a statement Thursday morning as she heaped praise on Campbell-Brown, affectionately known as VCB, who announced her retirement from athletics last evening.

“As Veronica takes her leave of the sport, I am pleased to announce that following the decision to rename Troy Primary School in Trelawny the VCB Troy Primary School in her honour, a multi-purpose court for the playing of netball, basketball and volley ball has been erected at the school. We all know that Troy Primary is where she attended before going on to Vere Technical High School for her secondary education,” Grange said.

She explained that, “The Sports Development Foundation (SDF) which erected the multi-purpose facility is also paving the entire front yard of the school as well as carrying out other minor upgrading work.”

The sport minister said she will officially open the facility at a date to be announced.

Praising Campbell Brown, Grange said: “There cannot be too many accolades for Veronica Campbell Brown who has amassed three Olympic gold medals and three World Championship gold medals together with 21 other gold medals in her illustrious career.”

“In 2019, the nation had also honoured VCB with the erection of her statue to join those of Usain Bolt and Shelly Ann Fraser Pryce at Statue Park at the National Stadium,” she continued.

The minister noted that the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) also recognised VCB for her advocacy for gender equity in sport by appointing her UNESCO Champion for Sport in October 2009.

Campbell Brown later launched her foundation which supports the education of young women in 2011.

“VCB gave the sport all that she had, and it was a lot. She set the pace for Jamaica’s female sprinters who came after her. She exposed to us her immense talent from early when she won gold medals and the four-by-one relay at the inaugural IAAF World Youth Champions in 1999 and in the following year became the first woman to win the sprint double at the IAAF World Championships.

“As she departs international track and field, I wish on behalf of the Government and people of Jamaica to express our sincere gratitude to Veronica Campbell Brown who made Jamaica proud with every stride she took and which put among the best female sprinters ever,” the minister added.