Text & Photos
By MARK THOMPSON

The north lawns of Jamaica House was the venue of the inaugural Golden Cleats Awards, which was staged on January 8 by the Jamaica Amateur Athletic Association (JAAA) and the Scotiabank Group to honour the nation’s top male and female athlete and coach for 2009.

Late evening showers could not put a damper on the occasion, which was attended by current and former athletes, sports administrators and members of the business community.

Twenty-three-year-old sprint sensation Usain Bolt collects the Golden Cleats Award for Male Athlete of the Year from Howard Aris, president of the Jamaica Amateur Athletic Association (JAAA), at the Golden Cleats Awards held on the north lawns of Jamaica House on January 8.

Usain Bolt was the runaway winner of the Male Athlete of the Year, while Shelly-Ann Fraser outpaced her rival compatriots to cop the Female Athlete of the Year award.  Stephen Francis of the MVP Track Club won the Coach of the Year award, but was not at the event to accept it.

In addition to celebrating the success of Jamaica’s track and field stars, the event also highlighted Jamaica’s tradition of excellence in another discipline — the culinary arts.  Martin McGinley, executive chef at Round Hill Hotel and Villas, Ravi Anne, chef de cuisine for Sugar Mill Restaurant at the Half Moon Resort in Rose Hall and pastry chef Gilbert McKenzie of Couples Ocho Rios — all members of Jamaica’s gold-medal winning National Culinary Team — prepared an enchanting taste of modern Caribbean cuisine.

The most enjoyable course was by far the dessert served up by McKenzie, which consisted of exotic Tia Maria-marinated fruits, chocolate shortbread with Mango coulis and cassava cheese cake with June plum sauce.

Lascelles Wine and Spirits, Molasses/Bin 26 Wine Bar and 1876 Wines provided choice wines for the occasion.

Bruce Bowen, president of Scotiabank, and Anya Schnoor, CEO of Scotia DBG Investments Limited and a senior vice president at Scotiabank Group, both expressed their pleasure at partnering with the JAAA to promote the valued theme of excellence.

The Golden Cleats event also functioned as a fund-raiser, with the proceeds going towards the upgrading training and photo-finish equipment of the JAAA, among other things.