Stories about Jamaica from August, 2009
Jamaica: Bereft of Leadership?
Trevor Dawes, blogging at Abeng News Magazine, says that “Jamaica is bankrupt” and suggests that “it is as a result of the poor to non-existent leadership from either of the two major political parties.”
Jamaica: Now What?
Girl With a Purpose wonders “what's next for Jamaica's athletic program” following the team's success at the recent World Championships: “What a fitting tribute it would be…for [our athletes] to have world-class training equipment and facilities…”
Bahamas, Jamaica: Thoughts on the IMF
Rick Lowe at Weblog Bahamas takes issue with an article in a Jamaican newspaper which laments the fact that the country “now has to pay the piper (IMF)”, saying: “Of course I am no fan of the IMF, but to suggest that a country ignore its debt is simply irresponsible…it...
Jamaica: Making It Last
“What good is it to glean several medals, to ride the wave of national camaraderie and unity for a few days, only to be bogged down once again by the crushing weight of national issues, such as crime, corruption, and economic chaos?”: Jamaican blogger Life, Unscripted, on the Rock wonders...
Caribbean: Climate Change Concerns
The threat of rising sea levels is of concern to CARICOM [the 15-nation Caribbean community]. Repeating Islands explains.
Jamaica: Never Can Say Goodbye
Snailwriter says that a recent road trip across Jamaica has been like saying goodbye to so many natural treasures: “I have been an advocate for the natural environment for more than twenty years…and now I must face the fact that still, after all the effort, our natural resources are put...
Caribbean: “Gold Rush” in Berlin
If there was doubt in anyone's mind that Jamaica can lay claim to having the fastest man in the world, Usain Bolt's 19:19 win in the 200m final must have removed any skepticism. Once again, regional bloggers celebrate with their Jamaican counterparts.
Jamaica: Surprise Win
Girl With a Purpose says: “Jamaicans got the biggest, most pleasant surprise of the World Championships…when Brigitte Foster-Hylton came first in the finals of the women's 110m Hurdles.”
Barbados, Jamaica: Eye of the Tiger
Barbadian diaspora blogger Jdid has a message for the mainstream sports media: “I'm sorry Sports Illustrated and ESPN but the biggest story this weekend was Bolt's 9.58 seconds not Tiger losing some golf tournament.”
Caribbean: Athletics Kudos
On the heels of Usain Bolt's record-breaking time at the World Championships, Caribbean bloggers pay tribute to the outstanding performance of the female Jamaican track and field athletes, while Havana Times is pleased to report that “Cuba’s female triple jumpers gave the island its first two medals at the Berlin...
Caribbean: Bolt Does It Again!
Olympic gold medalist and world record holder in the 100 and 200 meter events, Jamaican Usain Bolt, sprinted to an even more impressive victory this past weekend at the IAAF World Championships in Berlin, clocking 9.58 seconds to beat his own record. Regional bloggers are in a celebratory mood.
Jamaica: Garvey's Birthday
Repeating Islands notes that “today marks the anniversary of the birth of Marcus Mosiah Garvey Jr…the first person to be declared a national hero of an independent Jamaica.”
Jamaica: Track & Field
Iriegal reports that all 5 Jamaican track and field athletes have now been cleared of charges “after the country's anti-doping panel failed to determine whether the banned substance was on the prohibited list”, while Abeng News Magazine interviews Veronica Campbell-Brown, who will seek to defend her world title at the...
Jamaica: Sort It Out
More confusion in Jamaican athletics – Girl With a Purpose comments: “It's a downright disgrace when as a people…we can't solve our own problems and have to depend on an international entity to knock some sense into our brains.”
Jamaica: Four Athletes Cleared
Girl With a Purpose reports that a disciplinary panel has cleared the four male Jamaican athletes of doping charges.
Jamaica, Trinidad & Tobago: Economic Outlook
In light of Standard & Poor's low financial rating for Jamaica, Trinidad & Tobago blog The Liming House predicts: “If economic conditions in Jamaica and the Caribbean get much worse, the country is going to have a hard time meeting its outstanding debts.”
Jamaica: Falmouth Pier
Snailwriter is convinced that the construction of a cruise ship pier in Falmouth, Jamaica will not only “bring very small economic benefits…by way of short term, low level jobs. It is very likely that an authentic place of history will be part Disneyfied, wholly faked, and this old town constructed...
Jamaica: Doping Hearings
Girl With a Purpose learns that the doping hearing of the Jamaican athletes whose urine samples tested positive for a banned substance “ended prematurely”, while YardFlex.com confirms that the track and fielders will be missing the upcoming World Championships in Berlin.
Jamaica: Athletes & JADCO
Girl With a Purpose is still tracking the story of the athletes that have tested positive for a banned substance, noting that they were scheduled to appear before the Jamaican Anti-Doping Commission yesterday.
Jamaica: Positive Samples
Girl With a Purpose confirms that “the five Jamaican athletes whose ‘A’ urine samples tested positive, have now heard that their ‘B’ samples have also tested positive for methylxanthine…if found guilty, they may be banned from the World Championships.”
