Sport in Jamaica
Sports is an integral part of Jamaican culture. One of their most popular sports, cricket, was injected into the culture by the British. Other popular sports are athletics, football and netball. Rugby is also quickly gaining in popularity.
The Jamaican national cricket team has won seven WICB Cups and ten Regional Four Day Competitions. There are also a number of Jamaican players in the West Indies cricket team which took the 1975 and 1979 Cricket World Cup. Courtney Walsh, Michael Holding, George Headley and Chris Gayle as some of the most famous Jamaican cricketers.
Football is also very popular in Jamaica and the national football team has also been doing well on the international stage. They have won the Caribbean Cup five times (1991, 1998, 2005, 2008 and 2010).
Usain Bolt, one of the greatest athletes to come from Jamaica Athletics, sprinting to be specific, is also where Jamaica does particularly well. Usain Bolt, a world record holder for 100m and 200m, as well as Asafa Powell who also was a record holder for the 100m, are both from Jamaica. Olympic silver medalist Yohan Blake took home his medal from the 2012 London Games for Jamaica.
Below are details of sports, sporting events and sports people related to Jamaica.
Popular sports of Jamaica
- Football (Soccer), Cricket, Track and Field, Netball, Rugby
Jamaican Sporting Success
- Jamaican Bobsled Team (since 1988 Winter Olympics)
- Sprinter Usain Bolt became the first man to win gold in the 100m, 200m and 4x100m sprints at the 2008 Olympics, and he repeated his 100m gold in London 2012.
Great athletes from Jamaica
- Usain Bolt (athletics)
- Asafa Powell (athletics)
- Merlene Ottey (athletics)
- Patrick Ewing (Basketball)
- Courtney Walsh (Test Cricketer)
- Don Quarrie (Jamaican 200 Meter Gold Medalist)
Jamaica Sports trivia
- Jamaica first competed at the Olympic Games in 1948.
- Jamaica competes in world cricket as part of the West Indies.
- The national soccer team is called the 'Reggae Boyz'.
- The Jamaican netball team is called the 'Sunshine girls'.
- Jamaican sprinter Asafa Powell has the most finishes under 10 seconds in the 100m.
Jamaica at major events
- Jamaica at the Summer Olympics
- Jamaica at the Winter Olympics
- Jamaica at the FIFA World Cup (men)
- Jamaica at the FIFA Women's World Cup
- Jamaica at the Commonwealth Games
- Jamaica at the Netball World Cup
- Jamaica at the Copa América
Past sporting events hosted in Jamaica
- 1966 Commonwealth Games Kingston
- 2007 Cricket World Cup hosted by the West Indies
Upcoming sporting events in Jamaica
Annual sporting events held in Jamaica
Sporting Facilities in Jamaica
- Sabina Park, Kingston, Jamaica
- Institute of Sports (INSPORTS)
Other
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