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Jamaicans urged to “Seize the Olympic Moment”

KINGSTON, Jamaica – Prime Minister Bruce Golding is urging Jamaicans to take advantage of the country’s Olympic glory, by uniting as a people to set new standards for ourselves, our communities and how we treat each other.

In a broadcast to the nation on Sunday (Aug. 24), Mr. Golding said all Jamaica basks in the joy that our athletes have brought us. ‘We thank them from the bottom of our heart and we congratulate them most heartily. And in doing so, we are also grateful to those who helped them, mentored them and prepared them for this moment of glory’, Mr. Golding said.

At the same time, Mr. Golding noted that our athletes do not deserve to be embarrassed in their moment of glory by the fact that the country has one of the highest murder rates in the world and that we continue to inflict violence on each other.

In an impassioned plea, Mr. Golding urged those who are spoiling the show to heed the advice of Maxine Simpson, the mother of Shelly-Ann Frazer and that of 400M hurdles winner Melaine Walker, who called on the gunmen to end the crime and violence in the society.

He said our athletes’ domination of the sprint events, which resulted in 11 medals, three world records and one Olympic record, has made Jamaica the sprint factory of the world. “Our athletes went to Beijing with our hopes and expectations. We could not have asked for more”. Mr. Golding stated.

He said although the Games are over, the benefits to be derived had only just begun, pointing to the potential for tourism promotion and a fillip for brand Jamaica.

Mr. Golding said while the first order of business is to honour our athletes, young athletes must now be identified and their talents developed in order that they too can achieve Olympic greatness. “Our success in these Olympics not only provides an opportunity, but imposes on us a duty to expand and strengthen the institutional arrangements to support the continued development of athletics, in order to identify young talent and help them to develop Olympic greatness,” Mr. Golding said.

A broad-based planning committee has been established to finalize arrangements to welcome home and celebrate the historic and astounding performance of our athletes.

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