ST. ANDREW, GRENADA – Grenada’s Minister of Youth and Sports, Hon. Emmalin Pierre, extends congratulations Kirani James on being voted the top sportsman in the Caribbean across sporting disciplines by the Caribbean Sports Journalists Association.
Kirani has won gold medals in the Olympic, IAAF and Commonwealth Games 400 meter championships among many other 400 metre championship events. In congratulating Kirani, Hon. Pierre indicated that his award is well deserved and she is happy that, over the years, the Grenada Olympic Association has been able to support him in a holistic way. She then went on to challenge the Grenada Olympic Association to continue its work supporting athletes and associations across the nation.
On Friday November 7th, Grenada received the Association of National Olympic Committees ‘Breakthrough NOC at London 2012’ award. This award recognizes Kirani’s Olympic Gold Medal run and win at the London 2012 games – becoming the island’s first Olympic champion. It was presented at the Association of National Olympic Committees’ (ANOC) inaugural Gala Awards Dinner in Bangkok, Thailand. The event was the first of its kind by ANOC to honour the exceptional achievements made by NOCs and athletes across all sporting disciplines from all over the world. Minister Pierre congratulates the Grenada Olympic Committee on achieving the ‘Breakthrough NOC’ award. She notes that they have been playing a significant role in the development of the sport on the island.
Speaking of Kirani’s role in securing this award for Grenada, Hon. Pierre described him as not just an athlete but a role model – she was in high praise of his personality, discipline and conduct, and saw these qualities as complimenting and even aiding his sporting abilities. She believes that his achievements on and off the track are largely determined by his personality – more so than his raw athletic talent. She expressed a hope that more national athletes, aspiring athletes, and people generally, will try to emulate Kirani’s personality, discipline and conduct.
