11 Daniel Wheeler/Staff Reporter AS NATIONAL senior men’s head coach Heimir Hallgrimsson prepares to make his home debut, he has called on fans to back the players as they begin to enact his vision for the team’s immediate and long-term future. Hallgrimsson named his 25-man squad for the two-game series against Trinidad and Tobago which begins on Saturday in Montego Bay and concludes next Tuesday in Kingston at the National Stadium. The team is fused with both local and overseas talent with Phoenix Academy’s Dujuan Richards getting his first senior call-up and includes Mount Pleasant’s Trivante Stewart and Cavalier’s Collin Anderson, the top two goalscorers this season in the Jamaica Premier League. Additionally, young English-based talent with the likes of Chelsea’s Omari Hutchinson, Wolves’ Dexter Lembikisa and Tyler Roberts, Tottenham Hotspur’s Dante Harvey and Fulham’s Delano McKoy Splatt of Fulham have also been included. The start to his tenure was rushed with games against Argentina in September three weeks after his appointment and Cameroon in November. This will be the first opportunity for the home crowd to get a first-hand glimpse of the man tasked to take Jamaica back to theWorld Cup for the first time since 1998. Hallgrimsson is hoping that the fans give the team their full support as they begin their journey hoping that they take lessons from four-time World champions Germany regarding teamunity. “ ... The people we all have our opinions on who should be selected and who should play. But one thing that we can learn from the Germans is that once a squad is selected then the people stand behind the squad. After the tournament they can criticise and that is the difference between the Germans and most other teams,” Hallgrimmson said. Hallgrimsson believes that a large crowd in their two home games will inspire the players to deliver quality performances that they can be proud of. “Maybe you are not happy (with the team choices) but you support the players that will represent you as a nation. So you should get behind these boys. We will have a better performance if more people come and support us,” Hallgrimsson said. The local based contingent trained at the National Stadium yesterday with the British-based players expected to arrive in the island today. Hallgrimsson was complimentary about the surface at “The Office” and hopes he gets a similar surface at the Montego Bay Sports Complex in St James. NEW JERSEY, USA: GRACE FOODS has announced the renewal of its partnership with The Penn Relays over the next three years. The 2023 Penn Relays, which will be held between April 27-29 at the University of Pennsylvania’s historic Franklin Field, is now in its 127th year and continues to be an excellent opportunity for Jamaican high school track and field athletes to showcase their prowess on an international stage. Don Wehby, Group CEO of GraceKennedy (GK), the parent company of Grace Foods, explained, “Sports is one of the greatest vehicles to promote fair play, discipline and a drive for excellence among youth. GraceKennedy’s support of youth sporting activities is well known. We view this support as a major investment in nation building – an investment in our youth, our schools, sports development, and our country.” The 2023 Penn Relays follows on the heels of the spectacular ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys & Girls’ Championships, popularly called ‘Champs’, which is scheduled to take place at the National Stadium in Kingston, Jamaica, March 28 to April 1. Champs is a foundation event for Jamaican junior track and field athletes, many of whomgo on to the Penn Relays to further showcase their talents. Wehby continued, “Our support of Champs in Jamaica began 16 years ago in 2007 and is our single largest sponsorship anywhere in the world. We are proud to continue our support of Champs and of the Penn Relays year after year. Each year, these meets set the stage for the youth of our nation to showcase their talent in track and field, not only to Jamaica but to the world.” CHAMPIONSHIP RACES At the 2023 Penn Relays, Grace Foods will sponsor eight championship races, including the High School Girls’ 4x100 and 4x400 Championship of America; the High School Boys 400m Hurdles Championship; the High School Boys’ 4x100, 4x400, Distance Medley and the 4x800 Championship of America; as well as the College Men’s 4x200 Championship of America. Grace Foods’ sponsorship also includes on-site sampling and giveaways. “We are happy to continue our sponsorship of the Penn Relays, which spans over a decade,” said Andrea Coy, CEO of GK Foods International. “The Relays offer our athletes well-needed international exposure, and the opportunity to engage with athletes, coaches and volunteers from across the region. The meet also gives Grace Foods the chance to exhibit our products and engage with our consumers who attend the event from across the United States,” she added. Scott Ward, executive director of The Penn Relays, is equally thrilled about the renewed collaboration. “We are excited to continue our long-standing partnership with Grace Foods. Their significant presence every year at the Penn Relays adds to the festive atmosphere in the Carnival Village and their support towards our Jamaican and Caribbean participants and fans is magnificent. We look forward to partnering with GraceKennedy at the Penn Relays for many years to come,” he said. The Penn Relays, the oldest and largest relay competition held in the United States, typically attracts more than 15,000 competitors and 110,000 spectators each spring during the last Thursday, Friday, and Saturday in April. Grace Foods renews Penn Relays partnership Hallgrimsson calls for support for Boyz Trivante Stewart of Mount Pleasant . Collin Anderson Don Wehby THE MONTHLY GLEANER | MARCH 9 - APRIL 8, 2023 | www.jamaica-gleaner.com | NEWS outstanding work she has done in Jamaica, strengthening the relationship between both countries. He said she is now entitled to be referred to as Her Excellency Olivia Grange, with the post-nominal letters of the Star of Honour of Ethiopia award – GCSE. Grange was also recognised for being instrumental in bringing Prince Ermias to Jamaica and her efforts to build cultural and diplomatic bridges between Jamaica and the Ethiopian people. In her response, the minister said she has “always dreamt of the day when I’ll feel a part of the continent of Africa, in addition to recognising that my ancestors were predominantly African”. “The fact that I have been recognised by a nation in Africa, and particularly the Crown Council of Ethiopia, is something that has made me so overjoyed and overwhelmed that I am pent up with emotion,” Grange said. She noted that she grew up hearing about Ethiopia because of the Rastafari movement in Jamaica, as Haile Selassie has been a symbol of the movement. “For me to be recognised by the Crown Council and to be bestowed with the title of the Dame of the Grand Cross by His Imperial Majesty’s grandson, Prince Ermias, is something I have never dreamt would happen. But that is now a reality, and so I am humbled, I am honoured, and I am a little overwhelmed,” Grange said. GREAT HISTORY “I accept this award on behalf of the Rastafari movement in Jamaica, because they are the ones who constantly said His Imperial Majesty Haile Selassie is the symbol of black royalty. For me, it’s very important that I recognise that this honour that has been bestowed on me, today, is one that I’ll have to ensure that I carry that message of ‘One Love’, in recognition that as a black race we are equally important as any other race, and that we have a great history,” she added. At the event, author, journalist, and cultural historian Barbara Blake Hanna was also honoured for facilitating the recent formal visit to Jamaica of Prince Ermias and Princess Desta Saba and for her continued promotion of Ethiopia and Rastafari culture and history. OnMarch 3, Grange paid a courtesy call on Jamaica’s Ambassador to the United States, AudreyMarks, at the Jamaican Embassy inWashington, DC. Later that evening Ambassador Marks hosted a dinner in honour of Prince Ermias and Minister Grange. The Victory of Adwa and the Victory of Gondar are two great military victories of Ethiopia under Emperors Menelik II and Haile Selassie I, respectively, that marked turning points for Ethiopia, Africa, and the world. HONOURED CONTINUED FROM 4
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