Irwine Clare

With plans to support high school athletes from Jamaica at the 2016 Penn Relay Carnival in Philly in fully gear, Team Jamaica Bickle (TJB) recently hosted the inaugural “Game Night” at B&R Spice Restaurant, in St Albans, Queens, NY.

Games Night was a social bonanza; an exciting time among friends as they challenge each other in friendly competition of dominoes, ludi, spades and bingo all in an effort to raise funds for TJB. Proceeds are to aid the organization’s 2016 hospitality program at the Penn Relays.

According to TJB founder Irwine Clare, fundraisers are vital to the organization’s ability to meet the growing demands of the program as more schools seek greater assistance and against the background of scarce sponsorship dollars. Over the past two decades, TJB has hosted athletes from Jamaica and other Caribbean countries at the Penn Relays, providing meals, transportation, accommodation and chiropractic care.

In 1999, TJB became the first Jamaican organization to be a participating sponsor at the Penn Relays. As a result, the Jamaican flag became the first foreign-nation’s flag to be flown at the Penn Relays, a distinction unmatched. Over the years, TJB has received several proclamations and awards from numerous local and national entities.

On September 30th PUMA announced a new endorsement deal with Jamaican sprinter, Asafa Powell. The former 100m world record holder who holds the record for the most sub 10 second 100m sprints having dipped below that mark 93 times, joins the Global Sports Brand’s growing portfolio of athletes preparing for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio De Janeiro. In addition to World’s Fastest Man Usain Bolt, this roster has recently been bolstered by key additions including NCAA 100m Champion Jenna Prandini, Australian sprint hurdler Michelle Jenneke and French 800m runner Pierra-Ambroise Bosse.

Asafa Powell will become an important ambassador for the PUMA brand in an Olympic year and beyond. He will feature in both global marketing activations promoting Running Training product lines and brand campaigns in the lead up to to the 2016 Olympics. This partnership will also see PUMA working with Powell to design a ‘Sub-10 King’ line of sportswear and spikes.

Speaking about the new partnership with PUMA, Asafa Powell said, “PUMA has played a huge role in Jamaican Track & Field throughout my career – supporting the high school programme that fosters young athletes, partnering with the JAAA and JOA and elite athletes such as Usain. It’s a brand I’ve been very familiar with throughout my career and their longstanding commitment to Jamaican athletics is key as we continue to build and work to maintain our recent successes. They understand Jamaican culture, history, people and also the sport that this country loves, and I am very happy to be working with them.”

Pascal Rolling, PUMA’s Head of Sports Marketing for Running commented, “Having Asafa as part of our team here at PUMA is great news for us. He has played such an important role in Jamaican track and field for more than a decade, demonstrating a consistently high level of performance throughout his sprinting career which is a great testament to a great man. He inspires those around him, is an excellent role model and will bring great value to PUMA in the years ahead.”

Asafa Powell has run the most sub 10 second 100M sprints in the history of track and field. The Commonwealth, World Championship and Olympic medalist has dipped below the 10-second mark 94 times and was the first Jamaican to win the IAAF Sportsman of the Year. Powell, who clocked the first sub 10 second time of the 2015 track season, was the first Jamaican to ever hold the world record for the 100m dash, with times of 9.77 and 9.74.

92 year old Minnie Minoso, who was Chicago’s first Black major league baseball player, has passed away. The information came from the Cook County medical examiner on Sunday. Minoso played 12 of his 17 seasons in Chicago, hitting .304 with 135 homers and 808 RBIs for the White Sox. The White Sox retired his No. 9 in 1983.