Daraine Luton, Staff Reporter

IT WILL cost more than $16 million to fuel Jamaica's expectations of winning at least three gold medals at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, China.

This amount covers airfare, outfitting the athletes, staging a pre-Olympics camp in Tianjin, as well as a small per diem (allowance) for athletes, according to Mike Fennell, president of the Jamaica Olympic Association.

Fennell admits it is a hefty sum, but argues that "it is money worth spending". In fact, the bulk of the financing will come from sponsors, including Digicel, Singer and Puma.

57-member team

Jamaica has sent a 57-member team to carry the country's flag in Beijing, where the eyes of the world will be focused on the 29th Olympiad from August 8 to 24.

Fennell says the cost of getting each athlete to Beijing is approximately US$4,000 (J$285,000). Airfare, which is approximately US$2,500 per person (J$178,125), accounts for the lion's share of the cost. The total bill would have been more burdensome if the International Olympic Committee were not paying for accommodation, meals and travel.

With most of Jamaica's athletes being professionals, the country will not be digging too deep into the Treasury to pay them a per diem. In fact, athletes will collect a maximum of US$25 per day.

Pre-Olympics camp

The 10-day pre-Olympics camp, which is under way in Tianjin, costs US$120 per day for the 52 track and field athletes, totalling US$62,400 (J$4,446,000). This sum will be further increased by another US$10,000 (J$712,500) in administrative and other expenses, which the camp will attract.

Meanwhile, at least two government ministers will be making the trip to Beijing. Sports Minister Olivia Grange and Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett are to leave the island soon to witness the anticipated medals pile-up. It is not immediately available how much it will cost taxpayers for both ministers, along with their aides, to travel to the Games.

Wales' Conservatives last month described as "staggering" the sum of £15,000 (J$2 million), which was quoted as the amount which taxpayers in that European country would have to underwrite for sending a single official to the Olympics.

Back home, Fennell is convinced that the money being used to chase medals is prudent spending. He argues, "When our athletes perform at the Olympics, World Championships, Pan-American Games and so on, they always leave everybody with a positive feeling about Jamaica and our accomplishments.

"This Olympics will be no exception. People will be taking note of us. Brand Jamaica is known throughout the world because of our sporting achievements," Fennell tells The Sunday Gleaner.

Priceless benefits

The tourism minister agrees with Fennell. Bartlett says: "The awesomeness of being before the eyes of four billion people is not something we can pay for. The benefits that can accrue from that kind of publicity to destination Jamaica is unquantifiable."

Jamaica has been spending billions in recent years on sports. The most recent mass spending was the International Cricket Council Cricket World Cup, which Jamaica co-hosted with eight other Caribbean countries in 2007. It cost Jamaica nearly $7 billion to jointly host the cricket tournament. China is spending an estimated US$42 billion for the two-week sport spectacle.

Potential gold medallists …

Asafa Powell, Usain Bolt and Veronica Campbell-Brown

Bang for your buck!

$178,125