Legendary Jamaican sprinter Asafa Powell was among the hundreds of spectators attending the Butterfield Bermuda Championship at Port Royal Golf Course yesterday.

The former 100 metres world record-holder and two-times world champion took up an invitation to the attend the PGA Tour event and thoroughly enjoyed the experience.

“I was invited and figured I’d come and check it out and try to learn about golf,” he told The Royal Gazette.

“Most athletes when they retire go into golf. I don’t play golf but I am considering it, though.

“I heard the field is playing for a $6 million purse, so I was trying of figure how I could get into it because I could take one of those millions.”

Powell has been lined up as a keynote speaker at the Bermuda Olympic Association’s Equity in Motion event today.

The 42-year-old, who came to the island for the Bermuda Grand Prix in 2023, is scheduled to address guests at a banquet to be held at Grotto Bay Beach Resort & Spa after a day of activities targeted mostly at females.

“We are trying to bring awareness to our sport of track and field where women are not getting a fair deal in the sport and any sport at all,” he said.

“Women don’t get a fair deal, so we are trying to bring awareness that women need to be fairly rewarded like the men. We are all athletes, we are all doing great things in our field, so we need fairness and equality.”

Powell is making his third visit to the island.

“It feels good to be back in Bermuda because Bermuda is a place I want to come for vacation,” he said.

“All my time I’ve been here is just for work, so I’d really love to come and explore and get to learn a lot more about Bermuda.”

Powell is also grateful for the generous support his country has received from Bermuda to help with their recovery effort from the devastation inflicted by Hurricane Melissa.

“It feels good to know that the Jamaican support is here if needed even in times like this,” he said. “Jamaica is suffering right now and I know a lot of Jamaicans and Bermudians here are also supporting.”

He added: “I am considered as an icon in Jamaica and one of the most loved athletes in Jamaica, so for me it really hurts my heart to see what Jamaicans are going through. It really hurts my heart to think I can’t really help everybody because that’s what I would love to do.

“I love to help everybody but I can’t and am doing my best to try help as many people as I can because there’s children, babies, pregnant mothers and senior people who can’t fend for themselves. So we just need to come together as a unit and help as much as possible, and for me being a Jamaican I feel good knowing I can help people.”

After his commitment in Bermuda, Powell will return to Jamaica to support the Reggae Boyz in their crucial 2026 World Cup qualifying match against Curaçao on Tuesday.

“Jamaica, as always, we’re full of pride and we want to win and want to go to the World Cup,” he said. “We have a next match on Tuesday against Curaçao and I will definitely be at that match to cheer them on.”

Victory for the home side would secure their spot at the World Cup to be co-hosted next summer by the United States, Mexico and Canada.

“I have a lot of confidence in our team,” Powell said. “We trust our team and we hope that they can play their best, do great things and be where we need to be.”