10 months ago
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WESTERN BUREAU:
OLYMPIAN KALIESE Spencer-Carter has been shortlisted to be part of a six-member delegation of local coaches, who will be deployed to the city of Tottori Prefecture, in Japan, under a new Japan-Jamaica exchange initiative known as the Sports Exchange Advisor (SEA) programme.
The announcement was made by His Excellency Yasuhiro Atsumi, the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to Jamaica, during a courtesy call on Savanna-la-Mar Mayor Danree Delancy and councillors at the Westmoreland Municipal Corporation (WMC) yesterday.
Should Spencer-Carter, who was a 400m hurdle specialist in her time on the track, make the final cut, she and the other coaches will become pioneers in the SEA programme, which is a part of the 10th anniversary of the relationship between Tottori Prefecture and the parish of Westmoreland. SEA is the latest addition to the Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) programme.
“We just started a new programme within the JET programme called the Sports Exchange Advisor (SEA) programme. There are six candidates, and one is from Westmoreland, Olympian Kaliese Spencer-Carter, who will be selected as the SEA representative from Westmoreland,” Ambassador Atsumi said.
The JET programme is a Japanese government-sponsored initiative that sends participants from Jamaica to Japan primarily as assistant language teachers, to promote international exchange and enhance foreign language education at the local level.
“The SEA participants will go to Tottori Prefecture, that’s already decided, so she has a very good chance of being selected because she is from Westmoreland,” the Japanese ambassador said, noting the strengthening relationship between Westmoreland and Tottori Prefecture. “They will work as athletic coaches.”
Savanna-la-Mar Mayor Danree Delancy expressed his appreciation upon hearing that Spencer-Carter, whose athletic prowess was developed at The Manning’s School in Savanna-la-Mar, will be part of the SEA programme, which will give her the opportunity to share her vast track and field knowledge with Japanese children.
“We are delighted that she will be one of several Jamaicans participating in the Sports Exchange Advisor programme. She is from the Darliston division of the parish, and we look forward to seeing her showcase her talent as a coach in Japan,” said Delancy.
Spencer-Carter enjoyed an illustrious career in track and field for Jamaica in the 400-metre hurdles. She won a bronze medal at the 2012 Olympic Games in London, England; and won a gold medal at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland.
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