The Institute of Sports (INSPORTS) received high praise from the Minister of Sports, Olivia Grange, after 13 of the 14 Jamaica’s Under-15 cricket team members came through its cricket talent search.
Grange made an impromptu visit to the agency on Wednesday and inspected the new sports equipment purchased by the Sports Development Foundation (SDF) which will be distributed to basic and primary schools.
“I must say that INSPORTS is living up to its mandate of unearthing talent at the grassroots level. We have to build back cricket here in Jamaica and I am very proud that the Under-15 team that has done very well, 13 of the 14 members, came from our cricket nursery,” said Grange.
INSPORTS is an agency of the Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sports with the task of unearthing talent at the grassroots level.
“We went across the island, uncovered talent, had them in camps for a few weeks and they came out well prepared for the Jamaica cricket team and I am happy to say that they have done well,” she added.
The minister paid a visit to INSPORTS and inspected the sports equipment recently purchased by the Sports Development Foundation (SDF) for use in the basic and primary schools sports programme conducted by INSPORTS.
Clan Carthy Primary’s coach Dwayne Walker along with students Tina McKenzie, Tyrek Jackson and Rohando Smith got a firsthand view of the new equipment and demonstrated the various techniques to the minister who was more than pleased.
On display were cricket bats, balls, plastic stumps, badminton racquets and nets, table tennis board, size 4 footballs and small goals, kiddies hurdles and goal nets, and skipping ropes for basic schools.
“I want to encourage you youngsters to make use of the opportunities we are providing you. I want to encourage the sports officers to work even harder than you have been working and step it up now that you have equipment to go out there into the basic and primary schools to get that much more out of our youngsters,” Grange implored.
Meanwhile, INPORTS’ acting chairman, Ian Forbes, said the recent acquisition of sporting equipment will go a long way unearth the talent at the grassroots level.
“Many times the system is starved of proper equipment and it is important that we teach the young ones in particular from the grassroots level the proper techniques etc.
“There are something like skipping pretty much would mimic somewhat hurdling. Hula-hoop in terms of being flexible and stretching. Hopscotch for the bounding events like the long jump, high jump, triple jump etc.
“But it also good to have proper equipment, age-appropriate, size appropriate and above all safe equipment for the wide array of disciplines here,” said Forbes.
