KINGSTON – June 16, 2010 – Known globally for our athletic prowess, Jamaica’s sporting fraternity enjoys immense fame particularly in the areas of track & field, football, cricket and netball. We’ve also come to earn worldwide respect for our unlikely forays into bobsledding, dogsled racing and skiing. Despite our fiercely competitive spirit, however, only a handful of sports boast island wide popularity and are viewed as an integral part of our cultural fabric. Sporting activities not readily associated with our national identity are oftentimes met by resistance and in some cases even ridicule.
The new President of the recently formed Jamaica Wrestling Federation (JWF), Kevin Wallen, is ready to break that mold by raising awareness about wrestling and dispelling commonly held misconceptions about the sport. “When people hear the term ‘wrestling’, they tend to think of Hulk Hogan, the WWE and staged fighting,” he said. “We want to ensure that people understand the difference between that entertainment brand and competitive wrestling, which is a legitimate sport,” he concluded.
During his tenure as JWF President, Wallen hopes to establish wrestling as an extracurricular activity in schools throughout the country by strategically setting up programmes initially in Kingston and St. James. He sees wrestling as an incredible tool to address behavioural problems that are prevalent in the island’s educational system. As a troubled teenager in Canada, Wallen, with the help of then coach Jonathon Graham, utilized wrestling as an outlet for his aggression and as means to keeping out of trouble. “The physical demands of the sport forced me to dedicate a tremendous amount of my time preparing for competitions,” he said. “Additionally, the strong father-son bond I formed with my coach, a relationship which is by no means atypical in wrestling, helped me to redirect my energies and stay clear of activities that were detrimental to my development,” he continued. Wallen is confident that the fun, combative and physically challenging nature of the sport will attract Jamaican children, whom he views as natural fighters.
Wallen’s sporting career spans from high school wrestling to university level coaching to professionally competing in tournaments. A YouTube posting of his involvement in a contest a few years ago caught
Jamaica Wrestling Federation
The attention of the International Federation of Associated Wrestling Styles’ (FILA) officials, who subsequently contacted him about heading their Jamaican affiliate.
In addition to establishing a presence in the island’s schools, Wallen would like to see the sport being offered in local gyms as an alternate method to getting in shape and keeping healthy. He is also optimistic that the JWF’s push to educate the public about wrestling and drive to dramatically increase the number of local wrestlers will enable the organization to put together a solid team for the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
The JWF will be partnering with Canadian coaches and university teams as part of an initiative to train and certify local coaches. The Federation will initially focus on male wrestling and more specifically on freestyle and Greco-Roman techniques.
For more information about the Jamaica Wrestling Federation (JWF), please contact Kevin Wallen at JAM@fila-wrestling.com.
ABOUT THE INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OF ASSOCIATED WRESTLING STYLES (FILA)
Headquartered in Switzerland, the International Federation of Associated Wrestling Styles (FILA) was established in 1912 as the official governing body of amateur wrestling. FILA is comprised of 168 affiliated federations representing various countries throughout Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe and Oceania. The organization covers a range of wrestling styles including Greco-Roman wrestling, freestyle wrestling, female wrestling, beach wrestling, grappling, Pankration, belt wrestling and traditional wrestling.
For more information about FILA, please visit www.fila-wrestling.com
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Michelle Cunningham,
Marketing Executive, Communication & Business Solutions Ltd. (CBS)
906-2266/ 906-9248, michelleroxannecunningham@gmail.com
