KINGSTON, Jamaica — The Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport says it has provided $10 million to the Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association (JAAA) to assist with the staging of the Jamaica Athletics Invitational.

The meet is scheduled to take place at the National Stadium on May 11.

According to a news release on Sunday, Portfolio Minister, Olivia Grange, said the Ministry has given approval for the allocation of funds through the Sports Development Foundation (SDF). She said that the Ministry fully supports and endorses the meet as it will allow athletes and coaches “to accurately assess their current status and make the necessary adjustments in good time for the upcoming Olympics.”

The 2024 Summer Olympic Games will be held in Paris from July 26 to August 11.

Minister Grange said that the invitational, with a schedule of approximately 20 events, promised to be an “exhilarating and unforgettable event.”

She welcomed the overseas athletes drawn from the Caribbean, United States of America (USA), Canada, United Kingdom and Europe, who will participate.

“I await the excitement of each jump, each throw and each run. I salute all elite and emerging athletes who will participate in this year’s staging,” she said.

“Competitions of this calibre force all athletes to participate at peak performance while forging positive social interactions and camaraderie,” the Minister added.

The JAAA is the national governing body for athletics in Jamaica. Its mission is to promote, develop and regulate athletics in the country as well as to organise competitions and events for athletes, who would otherwise have difficulties finding competitive opportunities.