During a historic visit to the island, Andrew Parsons, President of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC), hailed Jamaica as the future “hub of Caribbean Parasports development,” marking a significant milestone for Jamaican sport. In addition to expressing strong global support for the Jamaica Paralympic Association (JPA), his statement marked the start of a massive grassroots transformation initiative that would last for five years, with the creation of a Paralympic High-Performance Academy serving as its cornerstone.
The Americas Paralympic Committee (AmPC), the hemisphere’s governing body for National Paralympic Committees in the Americas and the Caribbean, and the Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean (CAF) created this historic initiative. Christopher Samuda, President of the JPA and Director of the AmPC Executive Board, called the move “a negotiated bilateral and visionary partnership for the sustainable development of Jamaica and the Caribbean.” Implementation is underway, with specialists expected to arrive in Jamaica as soon as next month.
