Basil Watson gets job to make statue of Martin Luther King

Jamaican sculptor Basil Watson has been selected to create a monument in honour of the American civil rights icon, Martin Luther King Jr.

Watson, who has created sculptures of Usain Bolt and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, was given the nod to design the tribute to Martin Luther King, which will be erected in Atlanta, Georgia.

Watson is currently designing monuments in honour of Jamaican athletes Veronica Campbell-Brown and Asafa Powell.

Reacting to the development, Olivia Grange, the minister of culture, gender, entertainment and sport, said she is proud of the sculptor.

"Basil has been one of our leading sculptors, and this is a recognition of the great work that he does and an endorsement of Jamaican talent. I look forward to his design, which I know will be awesome and inspiring," Grange said.

Watson's Martin Luther King monument is due to be completed by the end of 2019.