In a landmark move for Caribbean para sports, the Americas Paralympic Committee (AmPC) has announced a historic partnership with the Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean, aimed at driving the development of para sports in Jamaica, Barbados, and Trinidad and Tobago.
The initiative will lay the foundation for future growth across the region, focusing on enhancing sports infrastructure, talent development, and administrative excellence.
The collaboration is set to improve the overall infrastructure of para sports in the region, with specific goals to build a strong pool of internationally certified classifiers, technical officials, and coaches in designated sports. The partnership also aims to increase the talent pool of para athletes and establish a customized administrative model of best practices to enhance policy-making in para sports.
The importance of the partnership
Michele Formonte, Executive Director of the AmPC, highlighted the importance of the partnership, noting that it aligns with the AmPC’s broader strategy for growth. “The Americas Paralympic Committee is leveraging our reputation and goodwill with regional partners in promoting growth and development for our members. This project is but one of the critical deliverables in our strategic plans,” Formonte said.
Christopher Samuda, President of the Jamaica Paralympic Association (JPA) and AmPC Executive Board member, emphasized the lasting impact this partnership could have on the region. “At the AmPC, through viable bi-lateral and multi-lateral partnerships, we are constructing a world-class apex sport organization that will create tangible and sustainable value for our members. This underscores our deep commitment to the qualitative growth of athletes, coaches, and administrators who are the cornerstone of sporting development and success,” Samuda remarked.
The program’s beneficiaries will be the National Paralympic Committees (NPCs) of the three participating countries, with this initiative serving as a blueprint for future projects in other AmPC member countries. Stakeholder consultations, driven by the NPCs, will guide the development of goals and ensure successful outcomes across the region.
A significant boost for the country’s para sports landscape
Martin Jackman, President of the Barbados Paralympic Committee, expressed his gratitude for the partnership, seeing it as a significant boost for the country’s para sports landscape. “I want to thank the AmPC and the bank for bringing this great project to Barbados. We are looking forward to the development of para sports in our country and the opportunities it will bring for our athletes,” Jackman said.
The AmPC, which oversees Paralympic committees in North, Central, and South America as well as the Caribbean, aims to deliver sporting excellence through this collaboration. “We’re banking on Caribbean sports, investing in our members, and paying them and their athletes the dividends,” Samuda concluded.
With the support of this historic partnership, para sports in the Caribbean are poised for a new era of growth and success.
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