Jamaica’s finest sporting achievements of 2025 were celebrated on Saturday night as world 100-meter champion Oblique Seville and World Championships silver medallist Tina Clayton were crowned National Sportsman and Sportswoman of the Year at the 65th staging of the RJRGLEANER Sports Foundation National Awards.
The ceremony honored excellence across disciplines, with additional accolades presented to breakthrough performers, pioneers in lesser-known sports, and legends whose legacies have shaped Jamaican athletics for generations.
Seville’s gold standard: From near misses to World champion
At 24, Oblique Seville captured his first National Sportsman of the Year title following a season that restored Jamaica to the summit of men’s global sprinting. His gold medal performance in the 100 meters at the Tokyo World Championships, clocking a personal best 9.77 seconds, marked the country’s first global men’s sprint title since Usain Bolt’s iconic Olympic double in 2016.
The triumph carried added weight after years of disappointment. Seville had finished fourth at the 2022 and 2023 World Championships and eighth at the 2024 Olympic Games, where injury struck in the final. Standing on the podium at last, he reflected on the long road behind him.
“When I look back at the experience in the last year, it was a special experience for me. You guys have followed my journey to see where I am coming from, to see that I have finally made it to the podium this year,” Seville said.
He credited faith, discipline, and perseverance as the foundation of his success.
“In everything that we do, put God first. My journey hasn’t been perfect. It has been built on discipline, sacrifice, and belief,” he said. “Talent may open doors, but it is consistency and character that keeps them open.”
Seville also used the moment to challenge young Jamaicans to think beyond circumstance.
“Never let where you are from limit where you are going,” he urged. “Your background is not a barrier, it is your strength.”
Clayton’s breakthrough: A dream accelerates
Tina Clayton’s coronation as National Sportswoman of the Year crowned a breakthrough season that confirmed her arrival among the world’s sprinting elite. The 21-year-old claimed her first national senior women’s 100-meter title before capturing silver at the World Championships in a personal best 10.76 seconds. She also contributed to Jamaica’s silver-medal finish in the women’s 4×100-meter relay.
Moments after receiving the sport’s highest individual honor, Clayton delivered a heartfelt and impassioned message, urging Jamaicans to remain committed to their aspirations.
“This is a humbling experience knowing that I have entered a circle of all the greats who have made Jamaica proud,” she said. “I thank Almighty God for what he has done for me throughout this season. A special thank you to my coach, Stephen Francis, for pushing me to my full potential. I have to thank the MVP Track Club also.”
A former Edwin Allen High School standout, Clayton’s rise has been years in the making. She was a four-time World Under-20 champion and remains joint holder of the world U20 record in the 4×100-meter relay. Now firmly established at senior level, she is widely viewed as a successor to sprint legends Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, Elaine Thompson-Herah, and Shericka Jackson.
“I stand here tonight as an example of dreaming a dream that continues to unfold,” Clayton said. “A dream that has overcome many struggles and hardships… for myself and my family, my community, and my country.”
She ended with a call that echoed across the ceremony.
“To my fellow awardees and nominees, I urge you to continue to pursue your dreams. Greatness is a part of Jamaica’s strength.”
Excellence beyond the track
Seville earned the Sportsman of the Year nod ahead of Anthony Johnson, who delivered a historic performance by winning Jamaica’s first gold medal at the IPSC Handgun World Championship in the Production Optics Grand Senior category with a perfect score.
Sara Misir continued to blaze a trail in emerging disciplines, finishing runner-up for Sportswoman of the Year after claiming bronze in powerboating at the 2025 E1 Series Championship for Team Blue Rising. She also became the inaugural recipient of the Breakthrough Athlete of the Year award.
The ceremony also paid tribute to enduring contributions. The late Alvin Campbell was honored with the Chairman’s Award, while cricket icon Christopher Gayle received the Lifetime Achievement Award for his extraordinary, record-breaking career.
Meanwhile, the People’s Choice Performance of the Year went to horseracing standout I Dream Again, winner of the Derby.
From global sprint dominance to pioneering feats in lesser-known sports, the 2025 National Sports Awards celebrated more than medals. They honored resilience, belief, and the unyielding Jamaican spirit, embodied most powerfully by two athletes whose journeys now stand as proof that dreams, when matched with discipline, can still change destinies.
