Jamaican Olympian Asafa Powell, who broke the 100 meters ten-second barrier 97 instances, was honored with the 2024 Bleu & Bougie ‘Celebrity’ Award. Elite Weekend Ambassador Talitha Smiley introduced the award to Asafa. Wanting on are members of the Elite Weekend government workforce.
Photograph by Ajamu Photograph/Marlon Ajamu Myrie
Jamaican Olympian Asafa Powell grew to become the primary recipient of the Bleu & Bougie Celebrity Award at Devon Home in Kingston, Jamaica, when he was introduced on March 17 with the award by the New York-based Elite Weekend promoters.
“I really feel very honored to get this award,” mentioned Powell after receiving the award.
The day earlier than, he had attended an awards ceremony in Antigua and Barbuda.
“The love I obtain from the Diaspora in New York over time is nicely felt all through my profession,” Powell mentioned. “The appreciation from the Diaspora I imagine is stronger than the Jamaicans residing regionally.
“I really feel blessed receiving this honor, as a result of it exhibits that I’ve achieved one thing legendary to be happy with,” he added.
The “Sub 10 King” has set the 100-meter world document twice, between June 2005 and Might 2008 with instances of 9.77 and 9.74 seconds.
Powell joins an elite listing of previous Bleu & Bougie honorees together with Bounty Killa, worldwide dancehall DJ; Nadine Sutherland, worldwide reggae singer; Cristy Barber, GRAMMY-nominated music producer and enterprise government; and actor Nick Creagan, whose credit embody David Makes Man (Oprah Winfrey community), Legislation and Order: Organized Crime (NBC TV); and Joker within the TV sequence Batwoman.
New York’s Elite Weekend government Sephron Mair informed Caribbean Life on Monday that the inaugural Elite Weekend at Devon Home was an awesome success.
“Everybody had a grand time,” he mentioned. “It was onerous work and loads of sleepless nights to tug off what we did right here in Jamaica. It’s a nice feeling to know we far exceeded all expectations.”
Occasion co-producer Gary Blake mentioned that scheduling the collaborative occasion two days earlier than the ISSA Boys & Ladies Athletics Championships (Champs) was an “wonderful choice.”
“Champs is a large magnet for Jamaican sports activities lovers residing within the Diaspora,” he mentioned. “Our advertising and marketing marketing campaign focused them, and it paid off in an enormous manner.
“We should thank the tons of of ‘elite weekenders’ who got here in from the tri-state space, Atlanta, Florida, Toronto and even Houston, Texas, and partied with us in Jamaica,” he added.
Blake mentioned that subsequent yr’s Elite Weekend will return to Kingston at a soon-to-be introduced venue on March 15 and 16, 2025.
Singer Richie Stephens made an impromptu look on the Devon Home shindig, delivering Luther Vandross’ “I’d Relatively” and his perennial hit “Weak spot for Sweetnes” that earned rapturous applause, Mair and Blake mentioned.
Additionally they mentioned New York’s DJ Roy, who performed on Sunday’s All White Soiree en Blanc was one of many standout selectors.
“He proved his mettle partaking the capability crowd with a gradual weight loss plan of classic hit songs that had patrons begging for extra,” Mair and Blake mentioned.
They mentioned Bishop Escobar, who performed at Saturday’s Bleu & Bougie, additionally “represented nicely”; whereas Captain Colin Hinds, Icopsycho, Richie Ras, Wealthy Rocc and MV Stone “held their very own.”
