SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador — Freshly minted Central American and Caribbean (CAC) wrestling bronze medallist Aaron Johnson is appealing to corporate Jamaica for more funding as he looks towards qualification for next year’s Olympic Games in Paris.

The Jamaican Johnson, the reigning Pan Am Games bronze medallist, placed third at the CAC Games on Saturday when he defeated Jadir Cerda of Nicaragua 6-2 in the 125kg category, to claim the country’s first-ever medal in the event.

Johnson told the Jamaica Observer he definitely has the talent and the ability to win gold for the country at the international level. But he said lack of sponsorship has affected his preparation and limited his participation at major overseas tournaments.

“We are in need of a lot more funding because it will allow me to go to more training camps and to compete in more competitions,” said Johnson.

“Right now I am mostly self-funded or I do fund-raising events for these trips on my own accord, and so once I am able to get funding it will allow me to go travelling overseas to the tougher training camps and to go [to] tougher competitions so that I can get better,” he said.

The 24-year-old Johnson, who is based in the United States, said his bronze medal-winning performance has boosted his confidence ahead of this year’s World Championships in Serbia.

“I think it is a big boost for my confidence because it will help clubs around the United States see me and, hopefully, they [will] want to bring me in to train with their guys — and that will help me get better,” he said.

“This also shows the Jamaica Olympic Association that we are producing and we deserve funding, and with that funding we will continue to improve on our wrestling skills,” Johnson noted.

However, he reasoned that were it not for a few mistakes he could have won his semi-final match, but in the end he is satisfied with a medal.

“It feels good to win a medal because this really shows that Jamaica’s wrestling can produce medals consistently,” Johnson said.

“I am very proud to represent this country; and I hope to keep building and to keep climbing and get over that hump and make it to a gold medal.

“It was stiff competition, because I lost a match that I don’t think that I should have lost. But, it is what it is and so I just have to go back to training and improve and come back with my eyes set on the gold medal,” Johnson declared.