ALTHOUGH four years away, Jamaica Olympic Association President Christopher Samuda says investing $300 million in the preparation for the Los Angeles (LA) Games in 2028 signals an ambition to create history in the United States.

In August, 58 athletes in four sports competed for Jamaica at the Paris Games. The nation finished with a less-than-expected haul of six medals: one gold, three silver and two bronze.

However, on Saturday at the official celebration for the Olympic medallists, dubbed Olympic Salute, JOA announced they would be investing $250 million for the next Olympic cycle in athletes’ and team preparations for the LA Games, with $50 million going towards the next Olympic celebration in 2028.

Scholarships and grants totalling $80 million will go towards athletes to help cover training, transportation and nutrition expenses. Scholarships, amounting to $50 million, will be awarded to national and elite coaches as they develop athletes for the Games. Some $50 million will go towards equipment access for athletes, and a $70-million travel grant will be given to athletes to participate in Olympic-qualifying events.

Samuda told the Jamaica Observer that the heavy investment shows they’re committed to improving Jamaica’s sporting landscape.

“Our vision is long term and, therefore, the board took a decision that we have to look long term and we have to start investing now. Qualification tournaments begin in 2026 and, therefore, you have to prepare the talent for 2026. It doesn’t make sense to give the talent money when there’s no chance of qualifying, so what we’re building now is a policy of investing in our athletes,” he said.

However, Samuda says it won’t be a free-for-all as they will be carefully reviewing the awardees of the scholarships and grants.

“There are rules of engagement that will apply to the recipients. We’ve always said: ‘Constitute an Olympic squad, have your rules of engagement because, sensibly, we can’t resource 300 athletes. You need to come to us as a federation and indicate to us your elite athletes, and who have a fighting chance of transitioning to the Olympic stage, and then we’ll resource,” he said.

“It’s the business of sport so those athletes must understand that when we invest, there are in fact rules that apply to that investment so we expect them to adhere to those rules — not only in their own interest but in the interest of the nation.”

While Jamaica has a history of competing in different sporting disciplines in the history of the Olympics, the island has never competed in more than six sports at a single event.

Samuda, though, says the JOA wants to break that tradition and go into double figures.

“Without any empirical evidence and the benefit of the qualification criteria of the respective sports, we want to qualify 12 or 13 sports for the LA Games,” he said.

“We’re also concentrating on team sports. Our rugby side almost made it, the Reggae Girlz almost made it, so we’re hoping in LA we’ll have team sports — which will be historic, and we’re hoping 12 to 13 sports — but the work has to begin now. There might be more [sports] with a little bit of luck but what I wish to have in LA is to have a contingent at the opening ceremony where I can identify 12 to 13 sports, and then we can demonstrate to the world that our prowess isn’t just in track and field but it goes across the board; that we have talent that’s not only for competitions but for the podium.”

Samuda says the stakeholders of the various sporting associations need to approach LA 2028 with the highest level of seriousness.

“I’m infusing the respective presidents with that philosophy and enthusiasm because if they are able to transition, with our help, their sport will do well,” he said.

“We’ll be coming out with our campaign shortly for LA, and the athletes and coaches and the respective presidents of the associations will be invited to be a part of the campaign. They have to own the campaign to understand that this is something that is national — and not something of the JOA.”