Jamaica to Host GAPS Training Camp for Regional Para-Athletes

Jamaica will host a one-week training camp for Caribbean para-athletes and coaches called GAPS – Gather, Adjust, Prepare, Sustain – at the University of the West Indies, from July 20-26.

This will be the second edition of its transformative programme and will welcome eight para-athletes and 18 coaches from six Caribbean nations – Jamaica, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago.

This will be the first time for Dominica and Guyana.

The Jamaica Commonwealth Games Association, the Jamaica Paralympic Association and the University of the West Indies have joined forces to stage the camp on the UWI campus.

A highlight of the camp will see athletes competing in a dedicated event on the penultimate day, to showcase new skills and experience para sport classification, which is an essential step towards participating in major international competitions.

President of the Jamaica Paralympic Association, Christopher Samuda, says they are transforming Jamaica into a mecca of education and of practical training for coaches as well as athletes and administrators.

Christopher Samuda.

It is aligned with the ‘One Year to Go’ milestone for the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, which will feature the largest para sport programme in Commonwealth Games history.

Dean of the Faculty of Sport at the UWI, Mona, Dr Akshai Mansingh, pointed out that the GAPS initiative is one of the Commonwealth Games Federation, which is trying not just to be competitive in nature, but inclusive in nature for all para-athletes and people with disabilities.

Dr Akshai Mansingh.