Grange: Government scholarship to be named for ‘Franno’

KINGSTON:

Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, Olivia Grange, announced that a new government scholarship will be named for the late Jamaican track and field athletics coach, Stephen Francis.

Grange announced on Saturday at the Service of Thanksgiving for the life of Francis at the National Indoor Sports Centre in Kingston.

She said Mr Francis, known as ‘Franno’, was “among the most brilliant Jamaicans in any field” and that he used his “mind power to shape actions and results”.

The minister said he “helped to shape athletes and contributed significantly to Jamaica’s remarkable place in the world athletics”, noting that his contribution must never be forgotten.

“The Government will have discussions with UTech (University of Technology) and with Paul (Francis, Stephen’s brother) to see how we can ensure that there is a lasting tribute to Franno. And we are going to be offering a scholarship to a student-athlete at the University of Technology. Those details we will announce at a later date,” she stated.

Francis was head coach at UTech for 17 years, where he was credited with establishing the university as the ‘home of world-class athletes’.

He was also the leader of MVP Track Club, which trained many of Jamaica’s athletics champions, including Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, Asafa Powell, Elaine Thompson-Herah, Shericka Jackson, Brigitte Foster-Hylton, Kishane Thompson, and many others from across the world.