Wavell Hinds Takes Paralympic Games Top Job

Wavell Wayne Hinds of West Indian cricket fame and revered for his admirable

exploits at the crease, is now a Paralympic Ambassador with his recent

appointment as Chef de Mission for the 2024 Paris Paralympic Games. In taking

the top job, Hinds best a list of experienced candidates after a grueling

interviewing process which saw noted sport personalities being selected to

assume duties at Paralympic international games.

An exemplary sport administrator whose listed credentials include the

presidencies of the West Indies Players' Association and Kensington Cricket

Club, Hinds will now be responsible for marshalling Jamaica’s team of athletes

and officials at the multi-disciplinary pinnacle of para sports. In responding to his

appointment, Hinds said "I'm sincerely grateful for the opportunity to serve my

people and country in the capacity as Chef De Mission. This great honour and

privilege also carries serious responsibilities for an illustrious, innovative and

talented group of athletes. I will do my utmost best to protect and promote the

legacy of the Jamaica Paralympics Association with humility and grace. I'm

eagerly looking forward to meeting and working with my full complement of

teammates."

President of the Jamaica Paralympic Association, Christopher Samuda,

commenting on the selection process and the appointees stated that

"this is the second time the JPA is selecting by way of interviews its officials for regional and

international games for a quadrennial in fulfilling one of its primary objectives of

professionalising and making inclusive the management of games which will be

delivered by a cadre of experienced and committed professionals led by Wavell,

a true son of the soil"

In 2015 the JPA embarked upon a similar exercise for the quadrennial period

2016 to 2020 which was successful and recently repeated the exercise at the

Knutsford Court Hotel with a panel which included Director Travis Ebanks,

Chairman of the Athletes' Commission and a law school graduand.

Hinds will have as his managers Digicel's Marketing specialist, Kaydean Webley,

known for her logistics management of the popular Digicel Grand Prix Track and

Field Series, and Ricardo Panton, Vice- President of the Jamaica Hockey

Association whose team management skills have been tested and proven locally

and regionally.

Hinds, Webley and Panton will "wet their feet" as a team for the IPC World Para

Athletics Championships which will be held in Kobe Japan from August 26 to

September 4, 2022.

Robert Darby, a member of the famed Darby dynasty in the horse racing industry

and a respected sport personality, will be the Chef de Mission for the 2023 IPC

World Para Athletics Championships and will have as his Manager, Jean Nelson

who comes to the table with minted managerial experience gained from her

experiences with the Reggae Girlz who created history in qualifying for the 2018

France World Cup

Noted Netball Manager Leonie Phinn, will take command of the 2023 Chile

Parapan American Games and will be assisted by Otis Harvey, former national

rower and currently a Director of the Jamaica Rowing Federation. Both will,

however, before that event team in their respective positions for the Junior World

Championships which will be held in 2022

Project management practitioner and the respected President of the St. Thomas

FA, Wayne Thompson, will tap into his array of skills at the 2022 Birmingham

Commonwealth Games which will see an increased number of Para sports

alongside able-body events.

The national para troop at the 2023 Global Games in Vichy, France, will have

Softball Jamaica's President and experienced sports administrator, Marvalyn

Campbell, as its chief who will oversee engagements in the French republic

where, in the city of Lyon in 2013 at the IPC World Athletics Championships,

Jamaica's distinguished Paralympian, Alphanso Cunningham OD, broke the

world record in the F52/53 Javelin three times.

Noted Educator and Sport Administrator, Cynthia Cooke, under whose

jurisdiction the internationally renowned Racers Track Club falls, will take charge

of Jamaica's youth at this year's Parapan American Youth Games which the

South American capital of Columbia, Bogota, will host in November.

Michael Vassall, an IAAF (World Athletics) certified coach, and Dr. Carol Long,

well known in track and field circles, will assume the roles of Managers for

individual athletes and teams to specific qualifying tournaments and

championships for international and regional games and championships which is

where it all begins.

The JPA in "putting out to tender"' and formalizing the selection of its

management teams for games and tournaments is leading the way and

according to Samuda is "breaking ground in the administration of sport as it plays

its part in establishing, locally, a professional sport industry whereby the business

and commercialisation of sport are built on the values and capacity of the human

capital."

Reflecting on the 2012 London Paralympic Games which was a game changer

for the Paralympic movement breaking records for ticket sales and enjoying

mass market appeal as it marked the return of the movement to its spiritual

birthplace, the British village of Stoke Mandeville, where the first ever organised

sporting event for disabled athletes was held, Samuda said: "As sport evolves,

there must be a rebirth of traditional values, a transformation from inside out with

inspired chefs de mission at work with stakeholders in the vineyards of

boardrooms and on fields of play."

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