Elton Tucker, Assistant Editor - Sport

Beijing bound - Minister of Information, Culture, Youth and Sports, Olivia Grange, with the last batch of local-based athletes who left the island yesterday for the August 8-24 Beijing Olympics in China. Grange, in a meeting with the athletes at the National Arena, urged them to be extremely conscious of the important role they will play in carrying Jamaica's flag and the country's name abroad. Also seeing the athletes off was Nikolaus Price (fourth left) of sponsor Sagicor Life Jamaica. The athletes (from left) are Herbert McGregor, Rosemarie Whyte, Bobby Gaye Wilkins, Anastasia Le-Roy, Allodin Fothergill and Aleen Bailey. Olivia McKoy also left with the group. - Rudolph Brown/Chief Photographer

Minister of Information, Culture, Youth and Sports, Olivia Grange, has urged Jamaica's athletes now pre-paring to compete in the August 8-24 Beijing Olympic Games to make a commitment to being drugs free.

The minister, who spoke at the Institute of Sports yesterday, just prior to the departure of the last batch of local-based athletes for the Games, said Jamaica's success on the track was breeding a lot of jealously.

"There are people out there who ... as we say in Jamaica are grudgeful and bad-minded and so they are going to spread all kind of rumours. They can't believe that Jamaica can be so great that we boast the two fastest men on earth, some of the fastest women and just recently the fastest young athlete in the world," she said.

Vigilance

Minister Grange called for extreme vigilance in the days ahead, in light of the recent revelation that a Jamaican athlete had tested positive for a banned substance. She added that "the little negatives" were minor compared to Jamaica's overall success but athletes needed to tread carefully.

"I use this opportunity to say to you that you have to be careful, you have to be vigilant and committed to being drugs free. Be careful what you take from anyone, be very observant and read the label on anything that you put to your mouth.

"We recently established the anti-doping unit and the legislation was passed in the lower house and the senate last week. Jamaica is now compliant.

"I want you to always be conscious that because you are so good that you have to be extremely conscious of the important role you play in carrying Jamaica's flag and Jamaica's name abroad. You are not only responsible to yourself in maintaining your self respect but you also are responsible to a nation ..." she concluded.

The sports minister will leave for the Games on August 11, three days after the opening ceremony and four days before track and field begins in Beijing.

Assistant manger Garth Gayle promised to 'fly the Jamaican flag high' in Beijing.

"We have an excellent coaching staff and a very experienced technical leader in Donald Quarrie. I am expecting all our athletes to do us proud and to represent us very well," Gayle said.

The local-based athletes leaving yesterday were Aleen Bailey, Rosemarie Whyte, Bobby Gaye Wilkins, Allodin Fothergill, Olivia McKoy, Anastasia Le-Roy and Herbert McGregor. They are accompanied by assistant manager Garth Gayle and coaches Bert Cameron, Edward Hector and Michael Clarke.

The athletes will be in camp at Tianjin on the east coast of China from July 31 until August 11.

They will then move into the Athletes' Village for the start of competition on August 15.