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Jamaican National Stadium
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by Venesha Johnson | Associate Writer
The Jamaican National Stadium has witnessed the start of many illustrious careers for our history-making athletes.
Jamaica may be small, but it’s an island full of talented people in almost anything you can think of. One of the major areas that Jamaica has excelled in is sports. Talk about Usain Bolt and the recent 1-2-3 sweep by Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, Shericka Jackson and Elaine Thompson-Herah.
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With sports being such a major part of our identity, of course, there are some major designated sports centres and stadiums on the island but the grandest of them all is the Jamaica National Stadium.
For the 1966 British Empire and Commonwealth Games, Kingston, Jamaica created Independence Park, sports and cultural complex. Many different sporting facilities are housed there. The site's entrance is marked by a statue of Bob Marley. The National Stadium is the complex's primary sporting stadium.
Jamaica National Stadium
The Jamaica Football Federation's home field, the National Stadium, is mostly used for football, but it also serves as the base for Jamaica's national sports squad at the Olympic and Commonwealth Games, making it the pinnacle of athletic competition in the West Indies.
It was constructed for 1962 Central American and Caribbean Games, for which it served as the major stadium and venue for the track and field, cycling, and opening and closing ceremonies. The British Empire and Commonwealth Games were held there in 1966. It has a 35,000 capacity.
Facilities At The Jamaica National Stadium
- A 400-meter track built to IAAF standards (a warm-up track east of the main stadium was recently renovated to create a second world-class competition track)
- a 500-meter-long concrete velodrome surrounds the running track.
- a media centre, a football field with FIFA regulations, 11 private apartments, and a royal box.
- At the stadium's entrance, a statue of Olympic gold medalist Don Quarrie stands to watch.
- There are statues of Merlene Ottey, Herb McKenley, and Arthur Wint in the complex as well.
Swimming and Diving Pools
The pools were constructed to serve as the venues for the aquatic competitions at the 1962 Central American and Caribbean Games. In order to suit the 1966 British Empire and Commonwealth Games, which required that distances be measured in yards rather than meters, the main swimming pool had to be remodelled. It has 8,500 seats right now.
The National Arena
The National Arena was constructed to serve as the venue for the 1966 British Empire and Commonwealth Games' weightlifting and wrestling competitions. It was inaugurated in 1963 and has a capacity of 6,000.
It is now utilized for a variety of events, including state funerals, trade exhibitions, flower shows, the National Festival singing and costume competitions, and sporting events (netball, table tennis, etc.).
There were performances by Bob Marley and the Wailers in 1975. Bunny Wailer, Peter Tosh, and Jimmy Cliff performed at the Youth Consciousness Festival in 1982.
The National Indoor Sports Complex
The 2003 IFNA Netball World Championships were held at the National Indoor Sports Complex, which was constructed next to the National Arena.
It debuted in 2002 and has a capacity of 6,000. Additionally, it serves as a venue for other sporting events including basketball games as well as social gatherings and fashion exhibits.
Leila Robinson Netball Courts
Between the basketball courts and swimming complex, are the outdoor netball courts. It bears Leila Robinson's name, who served as the Sunshine Girls' inaugural netball manager and coach.
The facility, which houses four netball courts, had renovations at the end of 2014 and the beginning of 2015, receiving a new surface to replace the old rubberized surface as well as new stands, placed on the right side of the complex, which is now renovated to accommodate people with disabilities. Over $23 million was spent on the upgrades.
The Institute of Sports
The Jamaican government founded the Institute of Sports (INSPORTS) in 1978 with the goal of fostering the growth of the sport on a national scale. In close proximity to the National Arena.
The Jamaica Table Tennis and Volleyball Associations are located on the ground floor of the structure, the Special Olympics, Basketball (JABA), and Netball Jamaica Associations are located on the second floor, and the Institute of Sports is located on the top floor.
Stadium Courts
The Leila Robinson Netball Courts are next to these outdoor basketball courts. To the left of the facility are two basketball courts with stands.
What can I say? The national stadium is a facility all Jamaicans can truly say they are proud of.
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References & Sources For Jamaican National Stadium
- Independence Park (Jamaica), https://en-academic.com/dic.nsf/enwiki/910546
Jamaican National Stadium | Written: August 15th, 2022
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