Track and Field Meet Highlights Talent Growth in Jamaica
Team Jamaica Bickle (TJB) Supports 43rd Staging of the Fuller Anderson JAAA Puma Development Track and Field Meet
St. Catherine, Jamaica – Team Jamaica Bickle (TJB) has announced its support for the 43rd staging of the Fuller Anderson JAAA Puma Development Track and Field Meet, scheduled for Saturday, January 17, 2026, at G.C. Foster College in Angels, St. Catherine, beginning at 8:30 a.m.
Founded by the late and outstanding statistician Charlie Fuller in Manchester, the development meet later moved to Kirkvine, where it gained the support of Patrick Anderson of Alcan, and has since found a permanent home at G.C. Foster College.
Over more than four decades, the Fuller Anderson Meet has built a reputation as Jamaica’s longest-running development track and field meet, playing a pivotal role in the early identification and nurturing of athletic talent.
Chairman of the Organizing Committee, Maurice Wilson, describes the meet as “the most impactful meet of all meets,” noting its contribution to the rise of Jamaica’s first female Olympic gold medallist Deon Hemmings, along with other world-renowned athletes such as Usain Bolt, Veronica Campbell-Brown, Loraine Graham Fenton, Nesta Carter, Sherone Simpson, Ristananna Tracey, Jermaine Gonzales, and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, among others.
For decades, the meet has enjoyed strong participation from schools across Central Jamaica, which traditionally used the competition to assess athletes during the early stages of preparation for the track and field season.
However, Wilson noted that the meet has faced sponsorship challenges since its relocation from Central Jamaica, where its previous title sponsor was based.
“It was a blessing to have received a call from Irwine Clare and Team Jamaica Bickle, which could only be described as God-sent,” Wilson said. “We thank them for the partnership support in ensuring that this year’s meet is held. This will give schools in Central Jamaica, which were impacted by Hurricane Melissa, an opportunity to come out and compete for cash incentives.”
commitment to athlete development
Irwine Clare, Founder and CEO of Team Jamaica Bickle, emphasized the organization’s longstanding relationship with G.C. Foster College and its commitment to athlete development.
“Our relationship with G.C. Foster College spans several years,” Clare said. “We are committed and supportive of their endeavors to provide the utmost platforms as a sports learning institution and to create opportunities for young athletes to excel. Our involvement in this meet also highlights and respects past relationships with Patrick Anderson, former JAAA President, and his support of TJB dating back to 2002. His legacy, along with that of Charlie Fuller, continues to pay dividends.”
The 2026 edition of the Fuller Anderson Meet will place special focus on middle-distance events, the 200m and 400m, and for senior athletes, the women’s triple jump and men’s long jump.
With the support of Team Jamaica Bickle, organizers are confident that the 43rd staging will continue the meet’s proud tradition of fostering excellence and providing meaningful competitive opportunities for Jamaica’s next generation of track and field stars.
