When it comes to sports, Jamaica celebrates and boasts a rich heritage. Even though Jamaica is relatively small in size, especially when compared to other countries, our mark in sports activities is well made. You can find Jamaican sports champions in big annual tournaments, world cup events, and even just daily fun and games. Usain Bolt for example, is world renown for his brilliant and impressive record breaking performances in athletics. O, yes, as you can see, Jamaicans are very competitive! Jamaica has even hosted big sports events such as the ICC Cricket World Cup.
Sports is an integral part of Jamaican culture and their most popular sport was injected in the culture by the British. Cricket is the most popular game in Jamaica followed by athletics, football and netball.
Rugby is also quickly gaining 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 and their national football team has also been doing well in the international stage. They have won the Caribbean Cup five times (1991, 1998, 2005, 2008 and 2010).
Athletics, sprinting to be specific, is also where Jamaica is doing 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. Jamaican sprinters also broke the World Record in the Beijing Games (2008) as well as in the 2011 IAAF World Athletics Championships.
Below are details of sports, sporting events and sports people related to Jamaica.
Football (Soccer), Cricket, Track and Field, Netball, Rugby
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.
Usain Bolt (athletics)
Asafa Powell (athletics)
Merlene Ottey (athletics)
Patrick Ewing (Basketball)
Courtney Walsh (Test Cricketer)
Don Quarrie (Jamaican 200 Meter Gold Medalist)
Jamaica first competed at the Olympic Games in 1948.
Jamaica compete 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.
1966 Commonwealth Games Kingston
2007 Cricket World Cup hosted by the West Indies
Sabina Park, Kingston, Jamaica