Saturday, August 4, 2012

Jamaica enters London Olympics Medal Table

 updated 7 Aug 2012 - from the BBC - http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/olympics/2012/medals/countries
Rank Country Gold Silver Bronze Total
1 China 34 21 18 73
2 United States 30 16 20 66
3 Great Britain & N. Ireland 22 13 12 47
4 South Korea 12 5 6 23
5 Russian Federation 9 18 20 47
6 France 8 9 11 28
7 Italy 7 6 4 17
8 Kazakhstan 6 0 1 7
9 Germany 5 14 7 26
10 Netherlands 5 3 6 14
11 Hungary 4 2 3 9
12 Iran 4 2 1 7
13 North Korea 4 0 1 5
14 Australia 3 12 9 24
15 Cuba 3 3 1 7
16 Belarus 3 2 3 8
17 New Zealand 3 1 5 9
18 South Africa 3 1 0 4
19 Ukraine 3 0 6 9
20 Japan 2 13 14 29
21 Romania 2 5 2 9
22 Denmark 2 4 2 8
23 Poland 2 1 5 8
23 Brazil 2 1 5 8
25 Jamaica 2 1 1 4
26 Croatia 2 1 0 3
27 Ethiopia 2 0 2 4
28 Spain 1 4 1 6
29 Canada 1 3 6 10
30 Sweden 1 3 3 7
31 Czech Republic 1 3 1 5
32 Kenya 1 2 2 5
33 Slovenia 1 1 2 4
34 Georgia 1 1 1 3
35 Dominican Republic 1 1 0 2
35 Switzerland 1 1 0 2
37 Lithuania 1 0 1 2
38 Venezuela 1 0 0 1
38 Grenada 1 0 0 1
40 Mexico 0 3 2 5
41 Colombia 0 3 1 4
42 Egypt 0 2 0 2
43 Slovakia 0 1 3 4
44 Azerbaijan 0 1 2 3
44 Belgium 0 1 2 3
44 Armenia 0 1 2 3
44 India 0 1 2 3
48 Indonesia 0 1 1 2
48 Tunisia 0 1 1 2
48 Serbia 0 1 1 2
48 Norway 0 1 1 2
48 Mongolia 0 1 1 2
53 Guatemala 0 1 0 1
53 Finland 0 1 0 1
53 Estonia 0 1 0 1
53 Cyprus 0 1 0 1
53 Thailand 0 1 0 1
53 Chinese Taipei 0 1 0 1
53 Malaysia 0 1 0 1
60 Singapore 0 0 2 2
60 Greece 0 0 2 2
60 Moldova 0 0 2 2
63 Hong Kong 0 0 1 1
63 Trinidad and Tobago 0 0 1 1
63 Turkey 0 0 1 1
63 Uzbekistan 0 0 1 1
63 Argentina 0 0 1 1
63 Saudi Arabia 0 0 1 1
63 Kuwait 0 0 1 1
63 Puerto Rico 0 0 1 1
63 Qatar 0 0 1 1














































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































Women 100 Metre Olympic Finalists

Veronica Campbell-Brown



Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce
Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce

Veronica Campbell-Brown

Carmelita Jeter

Allyson Felix

Blessing Okagbare

Tianna Madison

Kelly-Ann Baptiste

Murielle Ahoure

KSAFA Executive

Rudolph Speid, President

Ricardo Chin, 1st VP




Errol Howlett, Treasurer


Election results after today's KSAFA AGM:

Rudolph Speid - President
Ricardo Chin - 1st VP
Jacqueline Cowan - 2nd VP
Peter Higgins - General Secretary
Herman Cruickshank - Asst. General Secretary
Errol Howlett - Treasurer
Brian Rose - Asst. Treasurer

Friday, August 3, 2012

VCB leads her 100m heat!


 Abiodun Oyepitan of Great Britain, Ivet Lalova of Bulgaria, Gloria Asumnu of Nigeria and Veronica Campbell-Brown of Jamaica

London 2012 Olympics: Day Seven Photo Gallery

Abiodun Oyepitan of Great Britain, Ivet Lalova of Bulgaria, Gloria Asumnu of Nigeria and Veronica Campbell-Brown of Jamaica compete in the women's 100m round one heats

DIGICEL READY FOR TROPICAL STORM ERNESTO

Friday 3 August 2012 – Kingston, Jamaica. With the potential threat of Tropical Storm Ernesto bearing down on Jamaica over the next couple of days, Digicel would like to inform its customers, its staff and Jamaica as a whole that its hurricane contingency plan is in high gear and it has everything in place to best manage the events of the coming days.

Digicel's Crisis Management Team, headed by Donovan Betancourt, Head of Facilities and Emergency Management, will continue to monitor and track the tropical storm as it forms and gathers strength over the Caribbean Sea.

Specifically, Digicel has ensured that all of its 1,000 cell sites across the island are in good order and ready to go. Digicel has also made available into the market a significant amount of extra credit in order to ensure that customers can stay connected.

Commenting on Digicel's readiness for the storm, Donovan Betancourt, said, "We have done everything possible to ensure that we are ready and able to ensure that from our point of view, Ernesto passes without incident. Our cell sites are checked and ready and our technical teams and field engineers have been mobilized across the island."

He continued, "Our primary concern is the safety of our customers and our staff and that we keep people connected to friends and family no matter what. We would like to take this opportunity to remind people to stay safe, keep their phones charged and ensure they have credit on their phones so that they can communicate with their loved ones."

ENDS


ABOUT DIGICEL
After 11 years of operation, Digicel Group Limited has over 12.8 million customers across its 30 markets in the Caribbean, Central America and the Pacific. The company is renowned for delivering best value, best service and best network.

Digicel is the lead sponsor of Caribbean, Central American and Pacific sports teams, including the Special Olympics teams throughout these regions. Digicel sponsors the West Indies cricket team and is also the title sponsor of the Digicel Caribbean Cup. In the Pacific, Digicel is the proud sponsor of several national rugby teams and also sponsors the Vanuatu cricket team.

Digicel also runs a host of community-based initiatives across its markets and has set up Digicel Foundations in Jamaica, Haiti and Papua New Guinea which focus on educational, cultural and social development programmes.

Digicel is incorporated in Bermuda and its markets comprise: Anguilla, Antigua & Barbuda, Aruba, Barbados, Bermuda, Bonaire, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, Curacao, Dominica, El Salvador, Fiji, French Guiana, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Martinique, Nauru, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, St Kitts & Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, Suriname, Tonga, Trinidad & Tobago, Turks & Caicos and Vanuatu. Digicel also has coverage in St. Martin and St. Barts in the Caribbean.

Visit www.digicelgroup.com for more information.

Wednesday, August 1, 2012

Emancipation at Dawn



Laura Facey's moving sculpture in the morning light
- photo courtesy of Millicent Lynch.


Tuesday, July 31, 2012

We takin' ovah London Mattie!!


Our beloved Hon Louise Bennett-Coverley wrote about Jamaican migration to England in the 50s:

What a joyful news, Miss Mattie,
I feel like me heart gwine burs’
Jamaica people colonizin’
Englan in reverse

Today as Olympic fever takes hold, she probably would have said:


We takin' ovah London Mattie
Check de Parliament building side!
No fi we big man Usain Bolt
Wid him arm dem open wide!

An yu no hear bout de English farmer
Who dream seh Bolt bruk record?
Him mow one big ‘To di worl’ maze
Inna him country yard!

 Black green and gold tek ovah
Sponsor spare no expense
Usain, Shelly-Ann, VC, Melaine
Jamaican excellence!

Photo: Newsteam

 From LondonSpy – UK

A giant maze of Usain Bolt doing his famous lightning celebration has appeared in Burton-upon-Trent.
Farmer Tom Robinson created the maze, which covers 15 acres and has five kilometres of pathways. From the air, Bolt's character is 150 metres tall.
Those a-maze-ing statistics make it one of the biggest mazes in the world.
 "I'm a massive Usain Bolt fan," said Staffordshire farmer Robinson.
 "With the Games coming to London this year, I wanted to create an amazing tribute to an amazing athlete.
"When I was planning the maze I had a dream that Bolt ran the 100m in a record time.
"So I've stuck my neck out and carved that time into the maze - whether my dream comes true I don't know, but I do know we're going to see a thrilling 100m final."
Robinson has admitted that the maze is not exactly as he would like it, as he has had some issues with the weather, but he hopes to open it to the public by July 28.
"We have faced our own Olympic challenge to get the maze cut out with all the rain we've had," he said.
"The crop is only half the height it would normally be by now and we have had to delay opening by two weeks.
"However it still makes a great maze for visitors to explore and it will continue growing throughout the summer."

CURE SCORES VICTORY FOR JAMAICAN CONSUMERS

PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 30, 2012
Betty Ann Blaine
CURE SCORES VICTORY FOR JAMAICAN CONSUMERS
• Landmark Supreme Court Ruling
• Monopoly License Declared Invalid and Illegal
• Door Open to Competition in Energy Industry

Dickie Crawford
Citizens United to Reduce Electricity (CURE) is celebrating the landmark decision handed down in the Jamaica Supreme Court today in which the monopoly license of the Jamaica Public Service Company (JPS) was declared invalid and illegal.
The ruling comes almost one year after CURE initiated a class action suit challenging the JPS' monopoly license. CURE argued that the license granted to the JPs in 2001 contravened Section 3 of the Electric Lighting Act which prohibits the granting of an all-island exclusive license. The claimants are former Senator Dennis Meadows, Children's Advocate, Betty Ann Blaine, and businessman, Cyrus Rousseau.
Founding member of CURE, Dickie Crawford expressed the view that "this ruling by the Supreme Court will now enable the government of Jamaica to move much more confidently in diversifying and developing a modern energy industry."
Continued Crawford, "We have always contended that the high cost of energy has been the single greatest deterrent to Jamaica's economic development. This ruling therefore gives the country the opportunity to deal with the pressing problems of economic development and competitiveness in the world economy."
Another founding member of CURE, Betty Ann Blaine describes the victory as "superbly historic and important. This is a victory for the people of Jamaica, and we thank the citizens of Jamaica for their support as we pursued this case. Monopolies are never good for consumers. Jamaicans are seeing how competition in the Telecoms market is benefiting them. That is exactly what we expect to see happen when the energy market is open to competition", says Blaine.
CURE is urging all Jamaicans to take advantage of this new development and to support the drive toward cheaper and more reliable electricity supply.


CONTACT:
Dickie Crawford, Founding Member, CURE: 366-1966
Betty Ann Blaine, Founding Member, CURE: 294-8125, 462-0628

Saturday, July 28, 2012

Usain Bolt - very present in London!

...as an alternative to the relentless Games branding plastered all over the city, Olympic bosses beamed these spectacular images onto the Houses of Parliament in a truly dazzling display.
Enormous images including world's fastest man Usain Bolt, a giant Union Jack flag, and the Olympic rings were among those beamed on to one of London's most iconic buildings as final Games preparations took place.




Now ... Usain Colt!




Tuesday, July 24, 2012

10 ways to avoid poverty

Jerry Agar - Toronto SUN
Yesterday at 5:53 PM

The perpetually poor are not blameless.
Society's efforts to curb violence and relieve poverty are for naught unless people want to change.
Anyone can find themselves in unplanned and unforeseen unfortunate circumstances.

Most people, eventually, by their own effort and/or with the help of others, overcome adversity.
Some people, however, are perpetually poor.
Why? Because they don't do the things required of them to move up and out.

With apologies to Stephen R. Covey, here are the seven habits of highly unsuccessful people.
- Mismanaging the money they have. Some low-income people find a way to save for the future, but they do so by foregoing $300 Nike shoes.;
- Believing in the quick fix. The lottery is not the ticket to the future and it would be helpful if the government didn't advertise it as such.;
- Believing life itself is a lottery. Life isn't fair, but the accident of our birth, regardless of circumstances, is no guaranteed predictor of success or failure. Successful people weather the storms, while unsuccessful people see themselves as victims, with no options.;
- Inability to manage emotions. Unsuccessful people get stuck in feelings of hopelessness, frustration and anger, letting those emotions rule them.;
- Picking the wrong role model. They let unsuccessful people school them on the ways of life, rather than seeking out people who have overcome the same challenges they face.;
- Setting low goals. The problem is that once a low goal is achieved, the person feels that is all he or she can do. Setting unrealistic goals is also harmful, but goals should always be a bit higher than what has already been accomplished.;
- Believing in wishing and hoping. Pop culture self-help programs encourage people to wish hard for success and claim it will simply happen. That is dangerous because it is appealing; something for nothing. It's like praying for success while forgetting God helps those who help themselves. Everyone has a moral responsibility to provide for themselves as much as possible.

We should approach the issue of poverty from that standpoint.
We are not tough enough in society today with those people accessing the labour of others, through taxpayer-supported social programs.

Here is a three-point program for avoiding poverty.
- Stay in school to at least obtain a high school graduation. It is free for the student, so it is not too much to ask. Perhaps we should make it more of a demand.;
- Don't have children until you are able to financially care for them. It is not too much to ask. To do otherwise is a form of child abuse. Anyone can fall on hard times, but if properly prepared before having children a person will recover for their own and their children's benefit.;
- Stay off illegal drugs and off alcohol if it causes problems in your life, according to other people. (Drunks are bad at self-analysis.) It is not too much to ask.;

Poverty is no excuse for crime, but violent crime tends to emanate from impoverished neighbourhoods.

We've spent billions on a "war on poverty" to negligible effect as there are still huge numbers of poor people.

Perhaps we should demand more from people who stay on public support for decades and for successive generations.
Sent from my BlackBerry® device from Digicel

Saturday, July 21, 2012

The Mahatma stands at UWI

Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller shows appreciation after unveiling a statue of Mahatma Gandhi in the Inspiration Garden of the Faculty of Education and Humanities at the University of the West Indies, Mona. The statue is a gift from the people of India. Speaking at the unveiling, Minister of Foreign Affairs Senator A J Nicholson said that the presence of the statue will help to foster appreciation for the university’s motto “a light shining from the West” on the campus, and foster deeper thinking among students about the teachings of non-violence that were promoted by Gandhi.- Observer photo   
 Excerpt from Jamaica Observer column | by Jean Lowrie-Chin | 16 July 2012

It was  moving to be at the unveiling of a statue of Mahatma Gandhi at the UWI, whose peaceful activism against injustice began in the very homeland of Nelson Mandela  – South Africa, as mentioned by Foreign Affairs Minister Senator Clive Nicholson. Twenty-four-year-old Gandhi arrived in South Africa in 1893, 25 years before the birth of Nelson Mandela, to do legal work for Indian Muslim traders. It is said that the prejudice he and fellow Indians faced in South Africa resulted in his lifelong struggle for justice.

His tenacious activism angered white South Africans, a group of whom tried to lynch him and later had him imprisoned. His method was known as Satyagraha, meaning “devotion to the truth”. He returned to India in 1915 and used this method to mobilise millions of his countrymen, leading to his country's eventual independence in 1947.

It was personally moving to see the statue kindly donated by the Government of India through their High Commissioner Mohinder Singh Grover, in the quadrangle of the UWI Humanities and Education Faculty. There I had spent many  years studying literatures in English, Spanish and French where each novel, essay or poem was judged by that yardstick of truth. The best works confirmed that the human spirit can soar beyond the ugly barriers that
lesser humans build to cheat others of their rights.

And so the Mahatma stands proudly in an Inspiration Garden, an idea born of a discussion involving three distinguished UWI professors of blessed memory: Ajai Mansingh, Rex Nettleford and Barry Chevannes. There are plans to also erect statues of Dr Martin Luther King Jr, Marcus Garvey and Nelson Mandela.

Mr Grover pointed out that the statue, created in India, is an exact replica of that placed in the Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, Georgia, where Dr Martin Luther King Jr was the pastor. It was MLK who said of his struggle, “Christ furnished the spirit and Gandhi furnished the method.”

Gandhi and MLK were martyrs for their cause, their immortal spirits keeping us strong in defiance of their ugly assassins. My friend Arun Sethi explained that after India gained Independence, the Mahatma (which means “great soul”) continued to fight against the caste system, India's own sad culture of apartheid.  It is said that Gandhi was murdered by those who wanted to protect this backward system.

Jamaicans, we have friends and role models at every turn  – let's promise ourselves to embrace the goodwill, learn from thee inspiring individuals and take Jamaica on a mission of truth, justice and peace.

Friday, July 20, 2012

Ten Great Jamaican Sports Icons - Orville Higgins

By Orville Higgins | The Gleaner | Fri 20 July 2012

With Jamaica set to celebrate its 50th birthday as an independent nation, I want to look at the 10 greatest sports icons we have produced, including the pre-Independence era. For the sake of this article, greatness is understood to mean not only what is done on the field of play, but the impact that one has off it, locally and overseas.

I am looking at each performer in their prime and the wow factor these sports stars created for those who watched.


1. No other Jamaican has come close to matching Usain Bolt's mind-boggling achievements, much less his worldwide appeal. Whatever happens in London, Bolt's status as the greatest sports personality we have ever had is assured. He says he wants to be a legend. I have news for you, Bolt. You already are.


2. I would have to go with George Headley. No other Jamaican sportsman (or woman, for that matter), with the exception of Bolt, has been so universally recognised as, arguably, the best in the world for so long. Take Bradman out of the equation, and Maas George was easily the best batsman in the world for the entire 1930s. Indeed, there are those who believe that under all conditions Headley was better than Bradman.










3&4. Merlene Ottey's accomplishments are too numerous to mention, and her longevity is superhuman. Veronica Campbell-Brown would outdo her in terms of quality medals, and it's a close call between the two, but in terms of status on the global stage, I believe the name Merlene Ottey creates a greater ripple, and a greater feeling of awe, than Veronica Campbell Brown's. VCB, though, would be fourth on my list.


 5. This may be surprising, but Asafa Powell's continuous assault on the 100 metres world record a few years ago rekindled interest in the sport globally, and spawned new interest in a whole generation of Jamaican sprinters, including Bolt himself. Whatever else we may say, he is still among the top five fastest men ever, and his durability (more sub tens than anybody else) means he cannot be ignored.

 
 6. John Barnes didn't play for Jamaica, but he makes my list because he was born and bred here. No other Jamaica footballer was recognised as being among the very best in the world. John was, for much of the 1980s, thought of as the best left-sided attacking player in the game. Playing for Liverpool, he was an absolute wizard, and in that 1986 World Cup game against Argentina, he came close to eclipsing the work of the greatest footballer ever, Diego Maradona.
Barnes gets the better of people like Donald Quarrie and Dr Arthur Wint because, in my view, he operated for much longer at the top tier, while Herb McKenley and Dr Wint really achieved worldwide fame for their magnificent display in the two Olympics of 1948 and 1952, with not much in-between.






7. When Ernie Smith sang, "Quarrie was a boy to I man last night" in his classic hit Duppy or Gunman, Donald Quarrie (DQ) was immortalised and was forever part of Jamaican folklore. He is, arguably, before Bolt, the most universally respected Jamaican sprinter ever.







He just noses out Herb McKenley for the reason that DQ was an individual gold medallist at the Olympics, while Herb was not.




 

 

8. Herb, though, remains hugely popular and respected, as much for his work off the track as his performances on it during his heyday. Herb is, therefore, pushed into eighth place and eclipses Wint, whose performances were special but his name doesn't have the same buzz as Herb's.















9&10. Two cricketers round out the top 10. Michael Holding (ninth place) was easily the among the most feared and respected bowler in his time.
Michael is still revered as being among the very best commentators in the game and his contribution to the sport continues.

 Courtney Walsh takes the final spot by the sheer weight of performance. You just can't ignore 500-plus Test match wickets, which was the most by a pacer in his time.


KLAS sportscaster Orville Higgins is the 2011 winner of the Hugh Crosskill/Raymond Sharpe Award for Sports Reporting. Email feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com.

Wednesday, July 18, 2012

Mandela Day celebrates our children

Nelson Mandela
Jamaica needs long arms to embrace all the goodwill extended to her. Last week, we attended the announcement of Jamaica's celebration of Nelson Mandela Day, to be observed this Wednesday, July 18, his birthday. The indefatigable High Commissioner for South Africa Mathu Joyini has brought corporate Jamaica on board as she encouraged us to devote at least 67 minutes that day to Jamaica's children.
Following a debate in November 2009 in the UN General Assembly on "the importance of dialogue and tolerance to enriching cultures and promoting understanding among faiths", a UN report states, "Recognising the long-standing dedication of former South African President and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Nelson Mandela to humanity - particularly in the areas of conflict resolution, race relations, human rights promotion, reconciliation and gender equality - the Assembly adopted a text declaring July 18, his birthday, as an International Day, to be observed annually starting in 2010."
Prime Minister Simpson Miller, patron of Mandela Day in Jamaica, reminded us of our long-standing record in the fight against apartheid and for human rights. She said that as far back as 1957, Jamaica had imposed a trade embargo on South Africa as we took a stand against that unjust system of government.
Well do I remember that heady day in Jamaica's National Stadium in 1991, the year after his release from prison, when as a guest of the Michael Manley government, Nelson Mandela declared, "This is the happiest day of my life!"
Grantees of the PROComm-Stella Maris Foundation Scholarship Fund had a great time a a lunch hosted by the PROComm Team at Caribbean Cottage, Kingsway in honour of Mandela Day.  From left are: Akeem Luke (New Day Junior High), Vanessa Gaynor (Mona High), Ashanti Hall (New Day Primary), Orlando Reid and Kemar Carter (Shortwood Practising) and Sashwana Chance (Meadowbrook High)
High Commissioner Joyini asked Jamaicans to "take the love we have for Nelson Mandela and turn it inwards to the children of Jamaica". What a simple but profound charge. Placing our focus on the welfare of our children, giving them an experience which reminds them how precious they are, can cause a sea change. If you hark back to your childhood, you will recall those moving gestures of care which made you believe that you were a worthy human being and built the self-esteem which propelled you forward.
PM Most Hon Portia Simpson Miller (centre, in red) and Her Excellency Mathu Joyini, High Commissioner for South Africa with the Simply Chrisolites group and other guests at the Mandela Day press launch last Wednesday at the Prime Minister's Office
That generous Jamaican couple Sonia and Teddy McCook used to invite aspiring young athletes from humble homes to have Christmas dinner with them. When they were presented with gifts, one teenager broke down in tears. When asked why, he explained that it was the first time in his life that anyone had ever given him a gift. The things we take for granted are precious for some of our children. This Mandela Day, what will you do to make a child feel special? That one gesture could give a child the strength to stand up to the threatening influences around him or her.
Nelson Mandela once said, "There can be no keener revelation of a society's soul than the way in which it treats its children." This Wednesday, let our children feel this Jubilee of hope from the collective soul of a caring people. Step up, Jamaica!

'Jamaica will do well' - local sports journalists

By Arthur Hall

Local journalists headed to London to cover the Olympic Games are confident that Jamaica will reap at least 11 medals but they are coy about the colours.

At a Press Association of Jamaica (PAJ) arranged send off on Tuesday July 17, for journalists covering the Games, the predictions ranged from a high of 14 medals to a low of 10.

Veteran journalist Clare Forrester who will be covering her fourth Olympic Games was most gung-ho as she predicted that, barring injuries, the Jamaicans should return with 14 medals.

CVM's Wayne Walker, whose post cards from Beijing were a huge hit during the 2008 Olympic Games, was confident that Jamaica will, at least, repeat its 11-medal haul and he would not be surprised if there was another medal added to the list.

The Gleaner's Andre Lowe, who is quickly developing a reputation as one of the region's top track and field reporters agreed that 11 medals should be in the bag when the Games are completed but he also played it safe as to the colour.

Kayon Raynor, who was outstanding writing for the Jamaica Observer from Beijing, will be doing the job for the RJR Communication Group this time around and he expects that there will be one more medal to report on. 

Based on Raynor's projection it should be a ten medal haul but the man who will be shooting the videos for him, veteran videographer Oral Napier is confident that it will be 13.

While members of the Jamaica Observer's team, Paul Reid and Bryan Cummings, missed the  send-off because they are already in Britain, their editor Ian Burnett expressed confidence that the team will garner 11 medals.

Burnett is more respected for his knowledge of football, cricket and horse racing so his predictions were greeted with some skepticism but his general sporting back-ground meant that he was taken more seriously than the Gleaner's Darraine Luton who projected 10 medals.

Others journalists not known for any connection with sports such as Radio Jamaica's Rohan Powell and Karen Madden-James, probably emboldened by the presence of the outstanding sports reporters, added their projections to the list.

Madden-James declared that the athletes will come home with 12 medals while Powell argued that a repeat of the Beijing 11-medal haul is on the cards.

Most of the journalists headed to London will jet off by the end of this week and the PAJ is confident that the public will be well served over the radio, television, print and Internet as Jamaican athletes go for glory in the Olympic Games. 

Arthur Hall
Public Relations Director
Press Association of Jamaica

Sent from my BlackBerry® device from Digicel

Monday, July 16, 2012

Jamaica's National Pledge





Before God and all mankind, 

I pledge the love and loyalty of my heart, 

the wisdom and courage of my mind, 

the strength and vigour of my body 

in the service of my fellow citizens; 

I promise to stand up for Justice, Brotherhood and Peace, 

to work diligently and creatively, 

to think generously and honestly, 

so that Jamaica may, under God, increase in beauty, fellowship and prosperity, 

and play her part 

in advancing the welfare of the whole human race. 

- PHOTO - VOICEONLINE.CO.UK

Our values define us

Sidjae Robinson Walia's Leadership Nugget:

Read to lead well!

"Values are not just words. Values are what we live by. They are about the causes that we champion and the people we fight for."  -  John Kerry

Many countries are celebrating decades of independence, while others are fighting for the right to be free. Many independent nations have forgotten or abandoned the values and principles upon which their country was built, and independence celebrations are little more than another public holiday.

Our values define us, unite us, and differentiate us. They are the foundation of who we are and they inform the decisions we make. You know the value system of an individual from the actions and decisions he makes. Most persons are united by the value of human life and are therefore against ethnic cleansing. Perceptions of justice, however, may differentiate us on matters relating to capital punishment.

All leaders bear the weight of the expectations of their followers. These expectations are sometimes determined by past actions or expressions. Notwithstanding external pressure, the leader alone is responsible for his actions. What do your actions say about you as a leader? Do you value popularity over integrity? Do you value power over people's lives? Do you value profit over safety? Based on your actions, what conclusions will your team members draw about your value system? 

To Your Unlimited Possibilities,
Sidjae
--
Sidjae Walia
Founder/CEO
UNLIMITED POSSIBILITIES
Training that delivers "Above and Beyond" results
Twitter ID: http://twitter.com/SidjaeWalia
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/upthenextlevel
Website: www.upthenextlevel.com
(647) 927 9289


Friday, July 13, 2012

Digicel expects amazing things from Olympians

Shelly-Ann Fraser Pryce shows off her Jamaican flag to the world.
Jamaica Observer | Friday, July 13, 2012

DIGICEL, proud sponsor of the Jamaica Olympic Association, Shelly-Ann Fraser Pryce and Usain Bolt, is excited to congratulate the talented athletes who have been selected to represent Jamaica at the London 2012 Olympics which takes place from July 27 to August 12.

The 50-member contingent, which was officially announced on Tuesday by the Jamaica Olympic Association (JOA), includes 23 females and 24 males in the athletic categories as well as one female in equestrian, one female in swimming and one male for Taekwondo.

President of the JOA, Mike Fennell, thanked Digicel for its longstanding support "for sports and the development of sports in general in Jamaica".

"This is set to be a huge summer of success for Jamaica and we are excited to take our talents to the world," Fennell was quoted as saying.

In congratulating the team, Conor Looney, Digicel Jamaica's director of marketing, said: "It is just amazing that a small country like Jamaica can turn out a staggering 50 outstanding athletes who will perform at the highest level on the global stage during the Olympic Games in London."

In December 2011, Digicel cemented its long-standing relationship with the JOA with the renewal of a four-year contract that will see the cell phone giant supporting the organisation until 2015. In addition to the London 2012 Olympic Games, the sponsorship includes the Pan-American Games, Commonwealth Games, Central American and Caribbean Games, Youth Olympic Games, Commonwealth Youth Games and the Winter Olympic Games.