By Tom Degun in Guadalajara

Tracy-Ann Thelwell_coach_Neville_Sinclai_Ann_Marie_Smith_Shane_Hudson_Jefferson_Davis_Alphonso_Cunningham_Tanto_Campbell_Kevon_Reid_David_Bascoe_Courtney_Lodge_27-10-111October 26 - The Jamaican Paralympic team have received a major funding boost ahead of the 2011 Parapan American Games after they were given a cash injection of $1.3 million (£807,000/€920,000) from their sponsors Jamaica Beverages to help fund the team competing in Mexico.


The competition will take place here next month and the funding was given to the team in the form of a cheque that was presented to them at a small ceremony in the Jamaican capital of Kingston by Jamaica Beverages marketing manager Tracy-Ann Thelwell.

"We see this team as a really, really good team," said Thelwell at the ceremony.

"They've done a lot in the past and we just felt that our contribution would be felt within this environment.

"We wish them all the best and we know they will bring back medals for us."

The award is an additional boost as the Jamaica Paralympic Association (JPA) as the organisation has also received the $1 million (£620,000/€707,000) that was promised to them from the Sports Development Foundation (SDF) earlier this year.

The SDF money would have gone towards sending Jamaica's Paralympic team to the Christchurch 2011 International Paralympic Committee (IPC) World Championships in January but came too late so the JPA will use the funds to help the team compete in Mexico.

Jamaica is set to have a strong team in Guadalajara spearheaded by Alphonso Campbell who won F56 discus gold and F56 javelin silver at the last Parapan Am Games in Rio in 2007.

"I expect that the team should perform very well," said the JPA general secretary Suzanne Harris-Henry.

"Alphonso in particular is very strong as he has the Parapan American Games record which is aiming to beat.

"I am not sure about our runners as it's their first time with us bur maybe we might have a Usain Bolt of Paralympics.

"It would be really interesting to see how well they do."

Tanto Campbell_Beijing_2008Joining Campbell in the team is namesake Tanto Campbell (pictured), who will be a strong medal prospect in the discus F56 event after winning bronze in the discipline at the Beijing 2008 Paralympics to collect Jamaica's only medal in China.

Kevon Reid will represent Jamaica in the F55 shot put, while veteran Sylvia Grant will compete in both the F57 discus and javelin.

Meanwhile, promising talent Shane Hudson, who competes in the T46 200 and 400 metres and Davis Bascoe, who competes in the  in the T46 400m and 800m, will make their first trip to a Parapan American Games.

"I don't feel any pressure to perform," said Hudson.

"Last year I went to the Commonwealth Games and took part in the 100m.

"I didn't have a good start in the semi-finals so this year I switched to the 200m," he said.

Bascoe added that he too is not feeling the pressure despite competing at his first major event.

"I'm just relaxed," he said.

"When I go, I just go to win.

"I have been training hard enough to win.

Chef de Mission Christopher Samuda will lead the Jamaican team, which includes physiotherapist Ajay Kapu and coaches Neville Sinclair and Jefferson Davis.

The 2011 Parapan American Games will take place from November 12 until 20 and Jamaica will be hoping to improve on their fourteenth place at the last Pan American Games in Rio four years ago when they claimed 13 medals, four of which are gold.

The event will also act as preparation for the team ahead of London 2012.

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