The Jamaica Olympic Association  has  issued  a  statement  as  the  saga  involving  Jamaica’s  track  and  field  athletes  participation  at  the  upcoming  Commonwealth  Games  in  Birmingham  England deepens.

This  with the  door  closing  on  the  possibility  that  there  will  be  no  Jamaican  athletes  taking  the  track  when  track  and  field  gets  underway  on  August  2.

The  issue  surrounding  travel  arrangements  for  the  team  sees  the  JOA  in  the  statement  indicating  that  from time immemorial travel grants in relation to athletes and  officials have been instituted by owners of regional and  international games and this has not changed and all parties are  aware of this fact……adding  that  last year in relation to the Tokyo Olympic Games, travel  agencies were identified with which member associations were  advised to interface in making travel arrangements for their athletes and officials. 

The JAAA’s  compiled and consulted a travel  agency and made appropriate arrangements on behalf of their athletes and officials with the agency which is the said agency  that is handling arrangements for the JAAA’s  for the  Commonwealth Games.

The JOA  statement  today makes reference to comments  from  JAAA’S official Ludlow Watt who is handling arrangements for the JAAA’S for the Commonwealth Games.

It outlines that Mr Watts  understands that the travel grant is a fixed sum and as obtained in relation to the Tokyo Olympic, is aware that travel arrangements should be made efficiently by his  association to avoid increased costs.

The  JOA  statement  also  reference  that  Watts   fails to mention that the  JAAA’S   adhered to the policy with respect to the Tokyo games and  gives the impression that the JOA has the responsibility of  dealing directly with member athletes of his governing body whose itineraries and attendant obligations are more known to the JAAA’S  as  . Based on the previous course of dealing respecting the Tokyo Olympic games to which the JAAA’S adhered, the  impression given is misconceived.

The  two  page  statement  from  the  JOA also  adds  that what  is clearly   of  concern to    watts  as keeper of the JAAA’S  association’s treasury, is the risk of increased travel costs  consequent upon the delay committed by his association in failing  to provide a definitive list of athletes and officials with settled  itineraries coupled with its continual reworking of lists of athletes  and officials in a vain attempt to comply with the regulations of the  Commonwealth Games Federation regarding quotas. 

In the  meantime  members  of  the  boxing  and  weightlifting  teams   are  traveling  to  the  Commonwealth  games  today, while  the  swimming  team  is  scheduled  to  depart  early  next  week.

The  Sunshine  girls  traveled  yesterday  and  members  of  the  Paralympic  team  departed  earlier  this  week  and  are  already  in  Birmingham.