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  • IACHR raises concern over Jamaica’s continued criminalisation of same-sex relationships

    IACHR raises concern over Jamaica’s continued criminalisation of same-sex relationships

    In its recently released 2025 annual human rights assessment, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR), an independent oversight body affiliated with the Organization of American States (OAS), has outlined a mixed picture of progress and ongoing concerns for human rights protections across Jamaica. The report shines a light on both incremental policy wins and deep-rooted systemic gaps that continue to impact vulnerable communities across the Caribbean nation.

    One of the most high-profile findings centers on LGBTQ+ rights: Jamaica retains its place as one of just five countries in the Americas that still enshrines criminal penalties for consensual same-sex relationships between adults. This legal framework runs counter to global advocacy priorities set by human rights organizations like the Association for the Prevention of Torture, which calls for full legal equality, protection from discrimination, and social inclusion for LGBTQ+ people in employment, healthcare, and all other spheres of public life.

    Turning to disability rights, the IACHR acknowledged that Jamaica has continued rolling out its national Disabilities Act, which legally prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities in education, employment, healthcare, and access to public spaces. Even with this legislative advance, the commission stressed that major barriers remain in place. Many disabled people, particularly those residing in rural communities with limited infrastructure and underfunded support systems, still lack consistent access to life-sustaining essential services. The report also flagged the absence of a specialized, appropriate facility to accommodate people with psychosocial disabilities held in state custody, joining broader concerns about poor conditions at Jamaica’s detention facilities, including the overcrowded and harsh conditions widely reported at the St Catherine Adult Correctional Centre.

    On the contentious issue of capital punishment, the commission noted that Jamaica has not moved to strike the death penalty from its national statutes, despite a decades-long de facto moratorium on executions. No executions have been carried out in the country since 1988, and as of the latest official data in May 2023, no prisoners were currently facing a death sentence.

    The IACHR did recognize several key positive steps taken by Jamaican authorities over the past year. Most notably, the report highlighted a dramatic 43% drop in homicides between January 1 and December 20, 2025, compared to the same period in 2024. Official data recorded 649 homicides in the 2025 monitoring period, down from 1,136 the year before, bringing the national homicide rate down to 22.8 per 100,000 residents. The commission also welcomed ongoing work on constitutional reform, the launch of a public legal information portal to expand access to judicial resources, and the opening of Jamaica’s first dedicated shelter for boys who have survived human trafficking. In child welfare, the commission highlighted the opening of the St James Child and Adolescent Wellness Centre, a multi-agency facility offering critical mental health services including psychotherapy, family counseling, social work support, and psychiatric care. The new facility responds to a widespread public health crisis, with recent official data showing 20% of Jamaican children live with a diagnosable mental health disorder ranging from depression and anxiety to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

    Despite these gains, the IACHR raised urgent alarms around several persistent human rights risks, particularly related to citizen security and policing. The commission has continued monitoring Jamaica’s longstanding use of States of Public Emergency (SoEs) as a tool to suppress violent crime, and noted a landmark 2025 ruling from the Jamaican Supreme Court that found 17 SoEs declared between 2018 and 2023 were unconstitutional. The court ruled the measures exceeded legal authority: they were not declared for a constitutionally valid purpose, were disproportionate to the threat faced in a democratic society, and eroded separation of powers by undermining parliamentary oversight of emergency extensions. Even after this ruling, the commission confirmed that Jamaican authorities have continued to declare new SoEs, including new emergency measures for four police divisions in January 2025 following a spike in violent crime, and an additional SoE for the St Catherine North Police Division days later. The country’s parliament also approved a 180-day extension of Zones of Special Operations (ZOSOs), another targeted emergency security measure, across seven Jamaican communities in June 2025.

    Most concerning, a special investigative report published in October 2025 by Jamaica’s Independent Commission of Investigations (INDECOM) documented a staggering 591% increase in police-related fatalities linked to planned police operations between 2021 and 2024. Between January and July 2025 alone, 97 people were killed by police during planned operations. INDECOM’s report mandated that all planned police operations strictly adhere to the Jamaica Constabulary Force’s existing Use of Force and Firearms Policy, with requirements for advanced planning and full documentation of all activities. Local civil society groups have since called for full implementation of INDECOM’s recommendations, alongside an independent audit to confirm that all officers are meeting mandatory human rights and accountability standards.

    In the area of child rights, the IACHR also expressed concern over a controversial amendment to Jamaica’s Child Care and Protection Act passed by the House of Representatives in April 2025. The bill increases mandatory sentencing guidelines for children convicted of homicide, allowing for life sentences or minimum 30-year prison terms for children convicted of capital murder, with parole eligibility only after 15 years of incarceration. For children convicted of non-capital murder, the bill allows for life sentences or other extended prison terms, with judges granted discretion to set parole eligibility windows. The change has drawn criticism from human rights advocates who argue that harsh extended sentences for juvenile offenders contradict international standards for child justice and rehabilitation.

  • Sir Don stamps class with Saint Cecelia Cup win

    Sir Don stamps class with Saint Cecelia Cup win

    On Saturday, April 18, 2026, a rising star in North American thoroughbred racing cemented his status as one of the most promising three-year-olds on the circuit, securing his second consecutive dominant win to take home the $1.4 million Saint Cecelia Cup feature at Jamaica’s iconic Caymanas Park.

    Conditioned by Anthony “Baba” Nunes, a three-time former champion trainer widely regarded as one of the sport’s leading talents, the talented young colt delivered a masterclass in front-running racing. Competing in the Overnight Allowance event open to three-year-olds and older runners over the 6½ furlong (1,300 meter) distance, Sir Don crossed the finish line a full 3¾ lengths ahead of his closest competitor, building on an impressive prior win over 7½ furlongs (1,500 meters) just weeks earlier.

    With his regular jockey Raddesh “Sneaky Fox” Roman in the irons, Sir Don broke cleanly and quickly from starting gate number two, wasting no time to claim the front position before the field had even traveled a furlong. As the pack settled approaching the half-mile (800 meter) mark, the early chase was led by Goodbye Firefly, ridden by Tajay Suckoo, followed closely by Wall Street Trader with Christopher Mamdeen up and Zulu Warrior, piloted by Tyrese Anderson.

    Pre-race hype centered on a highly anticipated showdown between Sir Don and Mojito, the defending Jamaica Cup champion who entered the event as the second-ranked favorite. That expected clash never materialized, however. The fan-favorite grey runner, widely billed as the most accomplished horse in the 12-horse field, got off to a slow start out of the gate. While he gained some ground mid-race, he never found his stride to challenge the leader, holding a spot no higher than fourth for the entirety of the contest.

    On a rain-soaked, sloppy track that had been softened by pre-race showers, Sir Don shifted into another gear as the field turned for home and entered the final stretch. Displaying a level of poise and competitive grit that defied his young age, he rapidly opened a clear gap over the rest of the chasing pack and powered down the stretch in unchallenged fashion, leaving other contenders to fight only for the lower podium positions.

    When the field crossed the wire, Sir Don was well clear of the pack, with Goodbye Firefly taking second place, Wall Street Trader securing third, and Zulu Warrior finishing fourth. Mojito, making his first start of the 2026 season, never mounted a late charge to threaten the top positions.

    The win has solidified Sir Don’s fast-growing reputation as a future star in the sport, with racing analysts noting that the young three-year-old is seamlessly closing the gap between age-group competition and elite open class with apparent ease. That trajectory points to a promising future in higher-stakes races in the coming months.

    Speaking to reporters on race day, Nigel Burke, who was filling in for his uncle trainer Anthony Nunes, downplayed his own role in the victory. “I had not much to tell the jockey. He has ridden him [Sir Don] for all his starts and so I just told him it is up to him, good luck and safe trip,” Burke explained. “I am just here to cover for my uncle but the team has done a great job with him. I just kind of oversaw everything. I watched his replay last time and he seemed to love the sloppy condition and so I wasn’t concerned about the rain.”

    The event was documented by photographer Naphtali Junior, who captured images of groom Steven Smith leading the champion colt into the winner’s enclosure, as well as jockey Raddesh Roman unsaddling Sir Don after the race.

  • Hydel win fifth straight high school girls’ 4x400m title at Penn Relays

    Hydel win fifth straight high school girls’ 4x400m title at Penn Relays

    At the 130th running of the iconic Penn Relays Carnival held at Philadelphia’s Franklin Field, a bold strategic call by Jamaica’s Hydel High School delivered a historic result: the program claimed its fifth consecutive Championships of the Americas 4x400m title on Friday, clocking the third-fastest time in the event’s 130-year history.

    In a high-risk move that defied traditional multi-event competition norms, Hydel High’s coaching staff elected to skip both the 4x100m and 4x800m relays to concentrate the team’s limited energy and roster depth exclusively on the 4x400m. The gamble nearly fell short, as the squad trailed rival Edwin Allen High for nearly the entire race before anchor leg runner Nastassia Fletcher made a decisive pass in the final 60 meters to secure the win.

    Hydel crossed the finish line in 3:02.85? No, the official time was 3:32.85 seconds, a mark that cements its place in Penn Relays record books. Edwin Allen, one of Hydel’s longstanding Caribbean rivals, finished second with a time of 3:33.24 seconds — the fastest ever performance by the program at the Penn Relays and the fourth-fastest mark recorded in the history of the championship race. Bullis School from Maryland rounded out the top three with a time of 3:38.46 seconds.

    Head coach Corey Bennett adjusted his lineup between Thursday’s preliminary rounds and Friday’s championship final, rearranging the running order to maximize the team’s speed profile. The adjusted final squad opened with first-leg runner Sashashunta Hemmings, followed by Sashanna Johnson on the second leg, Aaliyah Mullings on the third, and anchored by Fletcher. Friday’s win marks Hydel High’s 11th Penn Relays championship wheel (the iconic trophy awarded to relay winners at the event) in the 4x400m discipline.

    In additional results from the championship race, Jamaica’s Holmwood Technical finished fourth in 3:39.43 seconds, while Alphansus Davis took eighth place with a time of 3:50.48 seconds.

  • Emotional testimony marks Klansman gang trial on Thursday

    Emotional testimony marks Klansman gang trial on Thursday

    The ongoing high-profile trial of 25 alleged members of the Klansman Gang’s Tesha Miller faction resumed Thursday morning at the Supreme Court’s Home Circuit Division in downtown Kingston, with a emotional prosecution witness delivering a harrowing account of identifying one of the gang’s 2018 double murder victims. The chilling repetition “HE’S dead, he’s dead, Sir, he’s dead” has become the defining testimony of this week’s proceedings, encapsulating the trauma of a witness called to confirm the identity of Kemar Williams, one of two men killed in the February 24, 2018 attack in St Catherine’s Pineapple Lane.

    The witness told the court she first received word of Williams’ murder shortly after 10 p.m. on the night of the shooting, but did not travel to the Spanish Town funeral home for formal identification until March 7, alongside a group of other acquaintances. Upon arrival, the party waited in a public holding area before a police officer escorted her to an interior examination room, where a medical examiner and another official awaited. Describing the grim space to the court, she noted “some bodies in there, like duppy, dead bodies” — a turn of phrase that drew quiet chuckles from several defendants seated in the courtroom.

    When the sheet covering Williams’ remains was pulled back, the witness said she immediately recognized his features: his distinct full head of hair made identification unmistakable. The shock of seeing Williams’ body left her overcome with emotion, and court staff quickly advised her to step outside to regain her composure. “I was crying to see [Kemar] in that situation,” she told acting deputy director of public prosecutions, who is leading the prosecution’s case. When pressed to elaborate on what she meant by “that situation”, she again repeated the same shaken line, her gaze distant as she recounted the moment.

    Williams’ killing is one of multiple homicides included in the 32-count indictment the Crown has brought against the accused gang members. The February 24 attack unfolded at a combined bar, retail shop and cookshop in Pineapple Lane, Bog Walk, St Catherine, leaving both Williams and Leon Burke — the establishment’s owner — dead, and a third bystander with life-threatening injuries. According to prosecution charges, Klansman faction leader Tesha Miller and co-accused Kirk Forrester are the masterminds behind the double shooting and subsequent attack, laid out in counts nine through 11 of the indictment.

    Count nine charges Miller and Forrester with facilitating a serious criminal offense on behalf of a criminal organization for Burke’s murder; count ten brings the same charge for Williams’ killing; and count 11 accuses the pair of knowingly facilitating the intentional wounding of the third surviving victim, whose name has been withheld for privacy.

    Earlier this week, the lead detective who initially handled the double murder investigation testified that when the case was reassigned to other investigators in 2019, he had not made any arrests nor identified any persons of interest in connection with the attack. The trial, which is being heard by Supreme Court Justice Dale Palmer without a jury, is scheduled to resume next Monday. Prosecutors have alleged the defendants are all active members of the violent Klansman Gang faction, linked to a string of murders, shootings and organized crime activities across Jamaica.

  • Venezuela, Colombia pledge military cooperation on first post-Maduro visit

    Venezuela, Colombia pledge military cooperation on first post-Maduro visit

    In a landmark moment marking the first foreign leader visit to Venezuela following the ousting of longtime authoritarian ruler Nicolas Maduro, Colombian President Gustavo Petro sat down for high-stakes talks with Venezuelan interim President Delcy Rodriguez in Caracas, where the two heads of state committed to coordinated military action against transnational criminal networks operating along their shared 1,375-mile border.

    Rodriguez stepped into the interim presidency earlier this year after a rapid U.S. military special operations raid on the Venezuelan capital on January 3 successfully captured Maduro, the socialist leader who had held autocratic control of the country for more than a decade. Following his capture, Maduro was extradited to New York City to face formal charges related to large-scale drug trafficking.

    Speaking to reporters after closed-door negotiations, Petro outlined the core mission of the newly announced partnership: the joint military push will target criminal mafias that have turned the porous border region into a hub for a wide array of illicit economies, with cocaine trafficking, unregulated illegal gold mining, human smuggling, and the illegal extraction of rare earth minerals topping the list of priorities.

    For her part, Rodriguez confirmed that the two nations have already begun advancing concrete operational plans to back up the pledge. Beyond joint military deployments, the countries are moving quickly to put in place formal cross-border systems for real-time information sharing and coordinated intelligence gathering to disrupt criminal operations more effectively.

    The Trump administration has thrown its full political and diplomatic support behind Rodriguez’s interim government, which has already moved to open Venezuela’s massive untapped oil reserves to development by U.S. energy companies, a major policy shift from Maduro’s long-standing nationalization of the country’s oil industry.

    The meeting comes amid long-running tensions between Petro and the Trump White House. Petro, a leftist leader, has openly and harshly criticized the January U.S. military raid that toppled Maduro, prompting fierce pushback from Trump, who has publicly attacked Petro and claimed the Colombian president has failed to take sufficient action to curb drug production within Colombia’s borders.

    A planned summit between the two leaders was originally scheduled to take place in March in Cucuta, the major Colombian border city that sits at the heart of cross-border smuggling routes. However, the meeting was abruptly scrapped at the eleventh hour for undisclosed reasons, leaving diplomatic relations in a holding pattern until this week’s visit.

    For decades, the border region surrounding Cucuta has been a hotbed of activity for left-wing guerrilla factions and drug trafficking rings, with successive Colombian governments long accusing previous Venezuelan administrations of providing funding and safe haven for these armed groups. Monday’s agreement marks a new chapter in bilateral relations, as both countries seek to address long-standing security challenges that have plagued the border for generations.

  • JMCC raises US$4,000 in opening fundraiser for Atlanta museum project

    JMCC raises US$4,000 in opening fundraiser for Atlanta museum project

    On April 18, the Jamaican Museum and Cultural Center (JMCC) officially launched its ambitious three-year fundraising campaign to build a permanent cultural institution celebrating Jamaican heritage in Atlanta, Georgia, opening the initiative with a community-focused virtual Zoom-A-Thon event. The project aims to accumulate $5 million in total donations to support the construction of the museum, which will find its home in Atlanta – a city widely recognized as the capital of the U.S. New South that is also home to one of the largest Jamaican diaspora communities in the country. In an exclusive interview with Observer Online, JMCC President Dr. Apollone Reid shared insights into the outcomes of the opening fundraising event and the organization’s long-term vision for the project. Reid noted that while overall turnout for the Zoom-A-Thon did not quite meet pre-event expectations, a shortfall widely attributed to a high-profile competing concert featuring reggae stars Maxi Priest and Beenie Man held nearby that same day, the energy and commitment among attendees remained undeniably strong. Participating guests were eager to contribute pledges, demonstrating their clear buy-in to the JMCC’s mission, and the event ultimately hit 80% of its initial donation targets. In total, the opening Zoom-A-Thon raised $4,000 in committed pledges and direct donations. The virtual event drew a diverse roster of prominent participants, including Oliver Mair, Jamaica’s Consul General to Miami; Dr. Garfield McCook, a sitting JMCC executive board member; Pastor Fidel Donaldson; and popular Jamaican singer Ian Sweetness. Once the full $5 million fundraising goal is reached, the JMCC will break ground on the new museum, which is designed to showcase the full breadth and depth of Jamaican culture across multiple sectors, spanning from iconic Jamaican music and visual arts to the nation’s rich political and social history. Even with the more modest than expected opening haul, Reid remains optimistic about the initiative’s trajectory over the coming three years. This Zoom-A-Thon marks only the first of many planned fundraising strategies that the organization will roll out to hit its target, Reid explained, adding that the participation of high-profile dignitaries, artists, entertainers and community leaders not only generated positive public visibility for the project but also confirmed broad cross-sector support for the mission of building a permanent Jamaican cultural home in Atlanta. The JMCC itself was first founded in September 2019, with a core mission to elevate and amplify the achievements of Jamaican people both in the diaspora and on the island. To date, the organization has advanced this mission primarily through its public interactive website, which now serves as a digital hub for Jamaican cultural content for audiences across the United States and beyond.

  • Jamaica Customs warns public of fraudulent message claiming car auction access

    Jamaica Customs warns public of fraudulent message claiming car auction access

    KINGSTON, Jamaica – A growing scam circulating on private messaging platforms has prompted an urgent public warning from the Jamaica Customs Agency (JCA), which is moving quickly to alert residents of fraudulent communications claiming to offer insider access to discounted customs disposition sales. The fake messaging, which has spread widely via closed chat groups and one-on-one conversations on WhatsApp, lures targets with false promises of exclusive perks: early previews of upcoming auction inventory, the ability to reserve high-demand items before the general public, and private arrangements to secure goods at below-market rates. In an official press statement published Friday, the JCA emphasized that this scheme is entirely fabricated, and in no way aligns with the agency’s standard operational protocols. La Donna Manning, the JCA’s Director of Public Relations and Customer Service, reiterated the agency’s caution, stressing that all official customs auctions and disposition sales follow strictly structured, transparent, legally mandated procedures. There are no allowances within these processes for private item selection, early entry to listings, or preferential treatment for any participant, Manning explained. She added that the agency never conducts formal public business through informal messaging platforms or private, unsolicited conversations. The JCA is urging all community members to exercise extreme caution when encountering unsolicited messages of this nature, advising people not to respond, engage with the scammers, or share any sensitive personal or financial information. The agency also warned against sending any form of payment to individuals claiming to arrange early access to customs auctions, noting that all legitimate transactions are processed through verified, official channels only. For members of the public seeking accurate, up-to-date information on upcoming public auctions, all official listings are posted exclusively on the JCA’s official website, jca.gov.jm. The agency closed its statement by urging anyone who receives these suspicious fraudulent messages to immediately cut off contact, ignore all demands, and report the incident to local law enforcement and relevant regulatory authorities to prevent further victimization.

  • Ex-detective found no blood behind vehicle, jurors hear in cops’ murder trial

    Ex-detective found no blood behind vehicle, jurors hear in cops’ murder trial

    A former detective constable’s testimony delivered remotely from the United States has introduced significant contradiction into the high-profile murder trial of six Jamaican police officers accused in the 2013 killing of three men, challenging a core claim from an earlier prosecution witness.

    Granted permission to testify via video link after prosecutors successfully filed a special measures application, the ex-detective – currently serving in the U.S. military and enrolled in a mandatory promotional program that bars him from traveling to Jamaica for in-person court appearance – took the stand on Wednesday to share his account of processing the 2013 crime scene.

    The fatal shooting unfolded on January 12, 2013, near the intersection of Acadia Drive and Evans Avenue in St Andrew, where Matthew Lee, Mark Allen, and Ucliffe Dyer were killed. The six officers on trial – Sergeant Simroy Mott, Corporal Donovan Fullerton, and Constables Andrew Smith, Sheldon Richards, Orandy Rose, and Richard Lynch – all face murder charges; Fullerton additionally stands accused of submitting a false statement to Jamaica’s Independent Commission of Investigations (INDECOM), the body that probes law enforcement misconduct.

    A key earlier witness for the prosecution claimed that from his third-floor apartment window, he witnessed one of the three victims lying on the ground behind a parked blue Mitsubishi Outlander, with officers standing over him, before hearing what he described as explosions and seeing the man go motionless. That witness also said he observed blood in the spot behind the vehicle where he claimed the shooting occurred.

    But the former detective, who was tasked with photographing, collecting, and packaging physical evidence from the scene the day of the shooting, told the Home Circuit Court he never detected any red substance matching the description of blood in that area behind the Mitsubishi. This account undermines the credibility of the earlier witness’s core narrative of the shooting.

    Under cross-examination from defense attorney Hugh Wildman, who represents four of the six accused officers, the ex-detective confirmed additional details that cast further doubt on the earlier witness’s vantage point. Wildman put forward the argument that a third-floor observer at that apartment building would only have an angled, obstructed view of the parked vehicle, not a clear direct line of sight. The ex-detective told the court he could not confirm the exact location of the apartment building’s entrance, could not accurately estimate the distance between the building and the parked SUV, and never entered the apartment complex or surveyed the full length of Acadia Drive during his evidence collection.

    The former detective also acknowledged that he did not use a formal tape measure to record distances at the scene, instead relying on pace counts to estimate measurements, and never measured the full width of the road. He confirmed that all spent bullet casings documented at the scene were properly collected, but noted he was not trained to collect gunpowder residue (GPR) samples, and is not a specialist in forensics or ballistics. When questioned about GPR, he explained that residue presence and concentration can be affected by multiple factors, including movement during firing, weather conditions, and the type of clothing a shooter is wearing. While he confirmed that firing a gun typically leaves GPR on a shooter, he noted that movement can reduce detectable residue levels.

    The witness also told the court he was first contacted by INDECOM about two months prior to the trial, and later spoke to lead prosecutor Kathy-Ann Pyke. He confirmed he informed Pyke last week that his U.S. military promotional program made an in-person court appearance impossible due to conflicting scheduling. He added that he had not spoken to any other INDECOM representatives about his inability to travel.

    Two of the six accused are represented by attorneys John Jacobs and Althea Grant-Coppin. Following Wednesday’s testimony, presiding Justice Sonia Bertram-Linton adjourned the proceeding until the following Monday.

  • Marathon Insurance Brokers and Rotary join forces for youth engagement and community impact

    Marathon Insurance Brokers and Rotary join forces for youth engagement and community impact

    More than a thousand service leaders from across the Caribbean are preparing to gather in Kingston, Jamaica, in spring 2026 for a major regional gathering of one of the world’s largest volunteer service organizations. The 52nd Annual Conference of Rotary District 7020 will kick off on April 27, 2026, hosted at the iconic Jamaica Pegasus hotel, with local financial services firm Marathon Insurance Brokers stepping in as the official sponsor of the event.

    Organizers have centered this year’s conference around the unifying theme “Unite for Good”, a framework designed to align regional volunteer efforts around three urgent, high-priority goals. First, the gathering will prioritize equipping communities across the region to build stronger, more adaptive resilience against the growing threat of climate-fueled natural disasters, which have increasingly impacted small island Caribbean nations in recent years. Second, attendees will work to expand and deepen the tangible, positive impact that Rotary service programs deliver to local communities throughout the district. Third, the conference will focus heavily on expanding youth engagement, bringing younger generations into the organization’s volunteer network.

    This cross-regional conference will draw participants from a sprawling network of 137 Rotary-affiliated clubs spread across 10 Caribbean nations. In total, 91 traditional Rotary Clubs and 46 Rotaract Clubs, the organization’s youth-focused branch, will send delegates to the Kingston gathering, creating space for cross-border collaboration and idea-sharing between service leaders from different island nations.

    Beyond its core priorities, the 2026 conference will also act as a collaborative platform for delegates to advance progress across Rotary’s seven global core areas of focus. These key issue areas include advancing peacebuilding and conflict resolution around the world, expanding access to disease prevention and treatment in underserved communities, driving inclusive local economic development, and improving access to clean water, sanitation, maternal health, and quality education. By bringing regional leaders together around these shared goals, conference organizers hope to strengthen Rotary’s position as a relevant actor for young people, inspire a new wave of volunteer participation, and deliver measurable, long-term good to communities across the Caribbean.

  • Preparation is key

    Preparation is key

    Jamaica’s senior women’s national football team, the Reggae Girlz, stands on the cusp of making regional history, but two former top team leaders are emphasizing that meticulous, long-term preparation will be the key to locking in qualification for both the 2025 FIFA Women’s World Cup and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics later this year.

    Currently, the Reggae Girlz are just one win away from booking their spot in a third consecutive World Cup. After dominating Group B of the Concacaf Women’s Championship qualifiers with a perfect 4-0 record — highlighted by a 2-0 victory over Guyana at Kingston’s National Stadium last Saturday — the team will face Costa Rica in the tournament’s quarter-finals this November, hosted in Texas. A win against the Central American side will not only secure Jamaica’s place at next year’s World Cup in Brazil but also open the door to the country’s first ever Olympic women’s football appearance.

    Charles Edwards, who served as the Reggae Girlz’s head coach from 2007 to 2008, called a third straight World Cup qualification a milestone that would cement the program’s legacy as one of the strongest in the Caribbean region. “I think for the Girlz to make it a three-peat would be a significant accomplishment,” Edwards shared in an interview with the Jamaica Observer. “That has never been done in the English-speaking Caribbean, and I think all of Jamaica would be so excited — especially after the men’s team failed to qualify for the World Cup. When you look at it, a three-peat this side of the world — even some of the Spanish-speaking Central Americans and all of these countries, I don’t know if anyone has ever made it a three-peat so it’s a very great accomplishment for us, and to make the Olympics would be great.”

    Andrew Price, who was an assistant coach for Jamaica’s groundbreaking first World Cup appearance in 2019, echoed that excitement, noting the program has grown by leaps and bounds since its first historic qualification run. He pointed to the team’s depth of professional talent as a major advantage going into the November match: many of the squad’s players compete in top European and American club leagues, and even star players Jody Brown and Konya Plummer were absent from the final qualifying round, a testament to the team’s depth. “They are now going to be three World Cups older, more experienced, and I believe that will serve its weight in gold when they go to the Concacaf Women’s Championships,” Price said. “I’m expecting the game against Costa Rica to be a difficult game but it’s a game that the Reggae Girlz can win. They have beaten Costa Rica in the past at the Women’s Championship, and I believe that once they go in there mentally and physically prepared they should be able to overcome them.”

    With seven months remaining before the do-or-die match against Costa Rica, both former coaches laid out clear plans to maximize preparation time. Price argued that the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) should take advantage of the June and October international match windows to schedule friendlies against high-caliber opponents from Europe or Asia, to help the team adapt to different playing styles including organized defensive setups and fast counter-attacking transitions.

    Edwards agreed that competitive friendlies are important, but added that targeted pre-tournament training camps are also critical. He proposed holding two camps in the United States, ideally near the match venue in Texas, to let the full squad acclimatize to the local environment and build on-field chemistry ahead of the November fixture. “Another big plus for us, it’s going to be over the summer when all the international players should have time to be together to work so I’m looking at camps — maybe two camps somewhere in the US and maybe within the area where they’re going to play the games (Texas) — so that they can acclimatise and get accustomed to all of that environment,” Edwards explained. “So a lot of simulation will have to take place and a lot of fine-tuning. It’s like an engine — you’re going to fine-tune it now, you want it running at maximum, you want to be going top speed. So [it’s] the coaches’ responsibility and the JFF, coupled together, and I think they have been doing a pretty good job so far and should be able to get us in good stead going forward into the game.”

    Current head coach Hubert Busby has already confirmed that the technical staff is moving forward with preparation plans, matching the ex-coaches’ focus on the June international window. “We’re turning to what happens within the June window and looking to maximise those two games in terms of preparations,” Busby said last Saturday after the win over Guyana. “I think it is really important for [the players], when they go back into their environment, that they are playing, they’re doing well, and continuing to push the level. We’ll have the chance to take this week and look at our reflection in terms of coaching staff and what we need to do to keep on improving as well so we can improve the group.”

    Notably, the Reggae Girlz have beaten Costa Rica in qualification matches on their way to securing spots at both the 2019 and 2023 World Cups, giving the team a historic edge ahead of the November showdown.