Sodia Peters on historic Paralympic Journey

By Ian Burnett

The Jamaica Paralympic Association (JPA) means business in pursuing one of its known mandates of building capacity in technical officials across the spectrum of sports in enabling them to transition to the international stage

The latest beneficiary is Sodia Peters who is creating history in Paralympic sports and will be the first Jamaican technical official in track and field to officiate at pinnacle games and arguably the first athletic official

Selected by the JPA to pursue the WPA International Technical Official (ITO) course in track and field, Peters looks set to clear the hurdle in late January when she will undertake a module of the course which will see her becoming internationally certified and eligible for selection for duties at international games such as the 2023 Santiago Para Pan American Games, the 2023 Paris World Para Athletics Championships, the 2024 Paris Paralympic Games and the 2024 Kobe World Para Athletics Championships

A member of a group of 23 persons selected from a worldwide cohort by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC), Peters, whose initiation in Paralympic sports came by virtue of an appointee of the JPA in a locally held IPC-sanctioned world qualifying track and field meet, said: “I want to thank the JPA for recommending me and processing the application and in demonstrating continued faith in my ability ”

Jamaica's Minister of Sports Olivia Grange

However, in a frenzied four-minute period, the game turned on its head as Lauderhill Lions found the equaliser two minutes later and before the Jamaicans realised what had happened, the Lions were in front in the 14th minute

However, Wilson went on a solo run to pull the teams level on 30 minutes to ensure the teams entered the half-time interval on level pegging

Late in the game Lynch was fouled inside the penalty box but Theon Cupee saw his spot kick blocked by the goalkeeper and his follow up effort crashed against the crossbar, much to the chagrin of the Jamaican coach Lenny Hyde and the many supporters The result left them in a precarious position entering Saturday's game against Plantation FC, but the boys rebounded splendidly to run out 3-0 winners

Meanwhile JPA President, Christopher Samuda, in reinforcing the mandate of the governing body for para sports, said: “It is business unusual in inspiring and empowering men and women to grasp horizons of opportunities in placing Jamaica in the corridors of the officialdom in sports We have the ability and capacity to be influencers in shaping the character of sports on the field of play and Sodia is blazing the trail ”

Peters has given the assurance of her commitment to the job at hand and will continue to officiate at local para meets Commenting on the achievement of Peters and her pioneering prospects for the future, JPA Director, Ryan Foster, said, “breaking barriers and taking your place among global achievers are lessons taught to our athletes and coaches in the Paralympic movement as part of their DNA and officials are no different ”

The JPA continues to identify technical officials and classifiers across disciplines as it pursues one of its primary strategic objectives of creating an experienced and internationally recognized cohort of Jamaican Paralympic innovators