SPORT Minister Olivia Grange announced that the Government has given $20 million to support athletes who have qualified to represent Jamaica at the Olympic Games in Paris this summer.

Grange told the Jamaica Observer that this funding will be directly disbursed to each athlete’s account to aid them in their preparations for the Paris Games.

“We have the account details of each athlete, and the funds will be directly transferred to their accounts, giving them autonomy over their finances,” she said. “We are looking at approximately $20 million.

“Every single athlete who qualifies for the Olympics will get a weekly stipend for 18 weeks leading up to the Olympic Games in Paris.

“You know that a lot of athletes don’t have it — and they don’t have to bare it all — and they struggled to train and to qualify for the Olympics. They have to make sure that they eat well, they have to make sure that they don’t have the stress of, ‘How I am going to get here and how I am going to get there?’ ”

Grange says the athletes will be covered by the Government’s insurance plan, ensuring access to health care in case of injuries.

“They are all going to be on the athlete insurance plan so in terms of mental health, and physio, and all of that, that will be covered. And if they go overseas and have health issues, that will also be covered — so that has taken the burden off them,” she said.

Jamaica Olympic Association (JOA) President Christopher Samuda praised the Government’s support for the athletes’ Olympic preparations.

“The JOA is in the business of enabling and empowering our sportsmen and women and therefore the Government’s announcement of monetary support in assisting athletes to prepare for our Olympic Games is very welcome news that underscores the JOA’s mandate [of] enabling the abled and inspiring aspirations,” Samuda said.

He emphasised the importance of recognising athletes’ contributions to Jamaica’s global image.

“Our athletes, sacrificially, continue to commercialise and globalise Brand Jamaica and a nation’s gratitude must be expressed financially — whether directly through Olympic Solidarity and JOA academic scholarships, or Olympic Destiny meets and tournaments, which we deliver,” Samuda said. “My earnest hope is that the aspirations of our sporting ambassadors of the now and emerging generations will continue to be fuelled by the inspired, tangible appreciation of a nation grounded in the Olympic values embodied in the expression: ‘Faster, higher, stronger and together’, which is the rallying cry of the Paris Olympic Games.”