JOA adds $5m punch to JBA’s LA 2028 goal

The Jamaica Olympic Association (JOA) has joined the ring with the Jamaica Boxing Association (JBA), and if it has its way in the country's goal for LA 2028, the next Olympic Games to be held in Los Angeles (LA), California, United States, Jamaican boxers will be punching above their weight.

The apex governing body of the Olympic movement has put on its gloves and will be delivering a $5-million investment in a gym, which will become the stamping and training ground for the LA Olympic squad of boxing aspirants and their coaches.

President of the JBA, Stephen Jones, in expressing gratitude said, "The Jamaica Olympic Association's support is nothing short of game-changing for the sport of boxing in Jamaica.

"This investment will breathe new life into our national gym, provide critical backing for our national Olympic squad, and significantly enhance the capacity and quality of our national coaches."

President of the JOA, Christopher Samuda, noted that home is where the heart is, and the experience in boxing is no different.

"Aspirations need a home to grow, mature and come to fruition and the Olympic gym will be home to those who are motivated to make history with their gloves and legacies with their punches."

The move by the JOA is the first of its kind of a broader development strategy and activation of providing its members with elbow room and tools of trade, which started some five years ago with its historic 'Olympic Empower Coaches' scholarships and multimillion-dollar equipment grant from which the JBA and several other associations have benefited.

UNWAVERING COMMITMENT

JOA Secretary General and CEO Ryan Foster commented that, "It's simply a demonstration of JOA's unwavering commitment to sport development and sporting excellence.

"We build, we equip, we invest and we empower, and boxing is the beneficiary of a decision taken early this year that dreams envisioned in the ring must be given every opportunity of materialising."

The recent historic visit of president of World Boxing, Boris van der Vorst, which followed on the heels of the historic visit of the president of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC), Andrew Parsons, along with the historic visit of the president of the International Olympic Committee, Thomas Bach, in 2023, signal Jamaica's importance in the global hierarchical sporting landscape and the JOA's 'All for Sport, Sport for All' foreign policy.

Jones described the contribution toward the national gym as a "lifeline".

"This isn't just a financial contribution, it's a lifeline and a launchpad. It allows us to deepen our talent pool, expand our selection process, and ensure that the athletes who will carry our flag on the international stage are properly identified, trained, and supported," the JBA president said.

"The JOA continues to be the driving force behind national sport development, and their belief in boxing will echo far beyond the ring."