KINGSTON, Jamaica — In a historic vote at the 24th Pan-American Draughts and Checkers Confederation (PAMDCC) General Assembly, Jamaica Draughts Association (JDA) President and Deputy Superintendent Jermaine Delattibudiere has been selected to fill the role of PAMDCC General Secretary for the 2026-2030 term, marking a groundbreaking milestone for Jamaican draughts governance.
This election breaks a 12-year streak of the general secretary position being held by representatives from Curaçao, and grants Jamaica its first-ever seat on the confederation’s top administrative body since PAMDCC was founded. Delattibudiere, who only took the helm of the JDA in June 2025, will carry a broad set of core responsibilities in his new regional role: drafting the confederation’s full 2026-2030 strategic development plan, overseeing all official correspondence between the PAMDCC, the World Draughts Federation (WDF), and the body’s 28 member nations, and managing technical regulatory compliance for all Pan-American draughts events.
In comments shared in a post-vote press release, Delattibudiere outlined his priorities for the confederation’s next term. “Our work will center on quality administration, transformative growth, member service, and structured institutional development,” he explained. “PAMDCC has expanded dramatically from just 4 founding members to 28 nations across the Americas. The next step is to build on that existing foundation, expand access through new youth outreach programs, raise event hosting standards across the region, and operate a fully transparent, high-performing administration to drive sustained growth. Jamaica stands ready to lead this collective effort.”
Delegates across the region voiced widespread support for Delattibudiere’s appointment, pointing to Jamaica’s recent work to bring all membership obligations fully up to date through 2026 and its consistent public commitment to growing the sport across the Caribbean. Regional stakeholders also celebrated a second major announcement from the assembly: the 2028 Pan-American 10×10 International Draughts Championships, officially branded “Reggae Draughts International,” will be hosted in Montego Bay, St James, Jamaica.
For Jamaica, Delattibudiere noted, the appointment comes with dual domestic goals: the country will maintain its strong international standing in Pool Checkers 8×8 draughts-64 while investing in growing competitive performance in 10×10 Draughts-100 ahead of the 2028 home championship.
Alongside Delattibudiere’s appointment, the general assembly re-elected Clifton Agata of Curaçao to the presidency by unanimous acclamation, with nearly the entire incumbent board retaining their positions. The full 2026-2030 PAMDCC leadership roster is as follows: President Clifton R. Agata (Curaçao), Vice President Ricardo Wever (Aruba), General Secretary Jermaine A Delattibudiere (Jamaica, replacing outgoing Hensley Rondei of Curaçao), Treasurer Lariza Wever-Maduro (Aruba), Tournament Director Amauri G Peralta Fernandez (Dominican Republic), First Youth Commissioner Carol Butcher (St Lucia), and Second Youth Commissioner Arwien Bhagwandas (Suriname). The only contested leadership shift came for the First Youth Commissioner post: incumbent Nicholas Ramsundar of Trinidad and Tobago chose to give up his seat to challenge Agata for the presidency, and lost by a wide margin.
Delattibudiere’s path to the general secretary role began earlier in 2025, when he traveled to Suriname as Jamaica’s sole delegate to the 23rd Pan-American 10×10 International Draughts Championship — logistical challenges had forced the JDA to cut its planned four-person delegation down to just its leader. With strategic guidance from Jamaica Olympic Association (JOA) President Christopher Samuda and in close coordination with PAMDCC President Agata, the JDA successfully cleared all outstanding membership dues and obligations to bring its status fully current through 2026, a requirement that secured Jamaica’s voting rights at the general assembly and cleared the way for Delattibudiere’s candidacy.
The 2028 Pan-American 10×10 championship, which will serve as the official qualifying event for the 2029 WDF 10×10 Draughts World Championships in the Netherlands, will include three competitive divisions: senior, women’s, and under-20. Jamaica’s winning hosting bid, developed with support from Samuda, will operate under JOA governance frameworks with additional backing from local government and non-governmental partners. The bid’s core arguments centered on the continental rotation principle and the long-unmet need for a major 10×10 championship event in the English-speaking Caribbean.
Typically, the week-long Pan-American Championship draws between 150 and 200 competitors and officials to the host nation, and Delattibudiere emphasized that the 2028 event will deliver long-term benefits far beyond the competition itself. “Hosting isn’t just about one week of games — it’s months of intentional preparation that will leave a lasting legacy for the sport,” he explained. “We’re hitting the ground running to expand our JDA Draughts in Schools Programme, adapting the successful model already implemented in Trinidad and Tobago to build sustainable local infrastructure. When all visiting federations leave Jamaica in 2028, they will take home practical tools to grow youth participation in their own countries. That’s how we push back against the distractions of social media and keep draughts a relevant, accessible sport for new generations.”