FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
PSOJ CALLS FOR NATIONAL SPORTS INFRASTRUCTURE AND INVESTMENT STRATEGY
Private capital, economic-impact data and 2031 World Cup preparations should anchor long-term approach
KINGSTON, September 21, 2026: The Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica (The PSOJ), through its Sports and Entertainment Development Committee (SEDC), is calling for the development of a coordinated national approach to sports infrastructure investment that treats sporting facilities as productive economic assets capable of generating sustained commercial, tourism and employment opportunities.
The call comes amid growing investment by Jamaican football clubs to upgrade home grounds to international standards. Recent reporting by The Gleaner highlighted efforts by Arnett Gardens, Montego Bay United and Cavalier to improve facilities to meet Concacaf requirements, including upgrades to lighting, playing surfaces, seating, broadcast infrastructure and commercial spaces.
The PSOJ believes these investments point to a wider opportunity for Jamaica: moving beyond a predominantly event-by-event or facility-by-facility approach towards a framework that connects sports infrastructure with private investment, tourism, entertainment, skills development and measurable economic returns.
“The conversation cannot only be about how we fund sport. We must also be asking how we create the policy, investment and data environment that allows Jamaica’s sports and entertainment infrastructure to become sustainable economic assets,” the SEDC said.
The Committee is recommending the establishment of a national sports infrastructure baseline, beginning with an independent assessment of priority facilities against relevant international standards. Such an exercise should identify infrastructure gaps, capital requirements, workforce needs, potential revenue models and opportunities for private-sector participation.
This would provide Government, sporting bodies and investors with a common evidence base for determining where investment can generate the greatest sporting and economic returns.
Jamaica’s preparations to co-host the 2031 FIFA Women’s World Cup provide a timely opportunity to accelerate this approach. Jamaica is scheduled to co-host the tournament alongside the United States, Mexico and Costa Rica, while the Government has indicated that the redeveloped National Stadium is expected to be completed in 2029.
The PSOJ believes the years leading up to 2031 should therefore be used deliberately to develop and test Jamaica’s wider event-hosting ecosystem.
Regional football competitions, cricket, athletics and other international sporting and entertainment events can serve as practical opportunities to test venue readiness, transportation, accommodation, security, broadcasting, event operations and commercial models while generating data to inform future policy.
“2031 should not be viewed simply as a deadline by which Jamaica must be ready to host a major tournament. It should be used as a catalyst to build capabilities and commercial models that will serve the country for decades thereafter,” the Committee said.
Central to The PSOJ’s proposed approach is the development of a credible methodology for measuring the contribution of major sporting and entertainment events to Jamaica’s economy.
The SEDC is proposing a pilot economic-impact study examining data points including venue capacity and attendance, visitor expenditure, hotel room nights and duration of stay, employment generated, local business activity and foreign-exchange earnings.
This should include measurement of the direct, indirect and induced economic effects associated with selected events.
Reliable data, the Committee noted, would strengthen the basis on which Government and the private sector make decisions about infrastructure, incentives, sponsorship, tourism promotion and future event bids.
The PSOJ is also recommending the development of a framework to attract greater private capital into commercially viable sports infrastructure rather than relying predominantly on direct Government expenditure.
Potential mechanisms could include public-private partnerships, development-finance participation, sponsorship and naming rights, venue commercialisation and, where supported by appropriate analysis, targeted fiscal incentives such as capital allowances for qualifying private sports-infrastructure investments.
This approach is consistent with The PSOJ’s wider advocacy for policies that mobilise private investment into productive infrastructure and could help to de-risk Jamaica’s 2031 readiness through private capital, while creating assets capable of generating revenue beyond individual tournaments.
The Committee noted that local clubs are already demonstrating an appetite to invest their own resources in lighting, pitches and other upgrades to secure international-standard facilities. A clear national framework could help channel and expand this investment rather than leaving projects to develop on an isolated, case-by-case basis.
The PSOJ stressed that physical infrastructure alone will not create a competitive sports and entertainment industry.
A national assessment should therefore also map existing and projected workforce gaps, including specialised skills in pitch and turf management, stadium lighting, broadcast production, event operations, facility management, security, hospitality and other technical areas required to deliver international-standard events.
With approximately five years before the 2031 tournament, Jamaica has an opportunity to begin building this talent pipeline now.
“The legacy we should pursue is bigger than upgraded stadiums,” the SEDC said. “It should include stronger Jamaican businesses, skilled workers, commercially sustainable venues, increased visitor expenditure and an ecosystem capable of attracting and successfully delivering international events long after 2031.”
The PSOJ stands ready to work with Government, sporting bodies, investors, development partners and other stakeholders to advance a coordinated framework that positions sport and entertainment infrastructure as part of Jamaica’s broader investment and economic-growth agenda.
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MEDIA CONTACT
Velton Gooden Jr.
Communications Associate
The Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica (PSOJ)
Email: veltong@psoj.org
Telephone: (876) 836-4285