With over 1000 student-athletes set to participate, stakeholders of the 36th annual Jamaica Teachers’ Association/Sagicor National Athletics Championship, are anticipating class act performances from the island’s children.
The two-day championship event will be held at the National Stadium on Friday (May 24) and Saturday (May 25), beginning at 10 each morning, with athletes participating in both track and field events in the various categories.
“Sagicor Foundation is happy to provide a platform to unearth our junior athletes’ talent at the grassroot level. We have seen where some of the children who participate in this championship go on to become Olympic and World Champions,” Alysia White, Head, Group Marketing, Sagicor Group Jamaica said.
Chairman of the JTA National Sports Committee, Patrick Graham, meanwhile noted that plans are in high-gear for the staging of the event. He encouraged Jamaicans to come out and give support to the young athletes at the meet.
On the track this year, students will participate in races between 80 and 1200 metres, while field events will include long jump, high jump, shot put, and cricket ball throw.
Defending champions, St Andrew, who last year copped their 19th title with 343.5 points are looking to reclaim the title.
“We have always been a confident team, all we have to do is look in the mirror, that’s our competition right there. We expect a closely contested championship, so if we perform at our optimum over the two days, we will retain our title,” Mabracq Harris, parish coordinator said.
He anticipates that St. Andrew athlete Samoya Brown, who won the sprint double at a recent championship, will have an exceptional performance on the weekend. Brown won the 100M in 12.90 seconds, and the 200M in 26.22 seconds at the INSPORTS Primary School Championships.
In 2018, three-time champion, St. Catherine placed second with 320 points, while Portland placed third with 187 points.
Attendance on the first day of the Championship is free to the public while Saturday, the final day of the meet, will attract an entrance fee of $200 for adults and $100 for children under 12.
