1,200 athletes for Blue Cross meet

Keisha Hill, Staff Reporter

The 25th staging of the Jamaica Teachers' Association (JTA) National Primary, All-Age and Junior High Schools Athletic Championships, will be held tomorrow and Friday at the National Stadium.

Sponsors Blue Cross of Jamaica Limited have pledged $4 million dollars towards the hosting of this year's event.

Over 1,200 athletes from across the island are expected to participate in the two-day event, which is scheduled to begin at noon on Thursday and 10:00 a.m. on Friday. Participants will compete in five sections, namely the under-9, under-11, under-13, under-15 and under-17 categories.

The competition has been held annually since 1984, and has had an impressive record of achievement. Approximately three quarters of Jamaican athletes who have excelled locally and internationally in the past 20 years are products of the championships.

Olympians who started their athletic careers at the event include four-time Olympic medallist and current Olympic 200m and World 100m champion Veronica Campbell-Brown and Usain Bolt, now the second-fastest man in the world after clocking 9.76 seconds at the Jamaica International Invitational.

Committed to partnership

According to Noel Foster, senior vice-president, operations, Blue Cross of Jamaica Limited, his company is committed to partnering with the JTA as it is aware of the potential of sports participation, particularly the health benefits.

"I am pleased to announce our ongoing support of the Blue Cross of Jamaica Sports Scholarships. These scholarships were established to help athletes who have the potential to become the next generation of Jamaica's outstanding athletes, to strengthen their academic as well as sporting skills throughout high school," Foster said.

The Blue Cross of Jamaica Sports Scholarship was established in 2001. The five-year scholarships valued at $75,000 each are awarded to the Champion Boy and Champion Girl at the Blue Cross/JTA Championships. Students become eligible upon entering high school.

Champion girl for the 2007 meet representing the parish of Kingston, Chantal Duncan, was presented with her scholarship award.

Duncan, a past student of Windward Road Primary and Junior High, placed first in the 400m under-17 girls, the long jump open and third in the 800m open. She attends Vere Technical High school.

Champion Boy for the 2007 staging was Donovan Bernard who is still a student at St Benedict's Primary.

Official launch

Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of Information, Culture, Youth and Sports, Senator Warren Newby, who attended the official launch of the championships on behalf of Minister Olivia 'Babsy' Grange, implored corporate Jamaica to put these events on the list of donations/contributions in their budgets.

"If you want to see the JTA unearth many more distinguished athletes, then you must help the JTA to continue to make it a reality. This meet is the cradle and we all know that is when the child needs the most care," he said.

The Blue Cross/JTA Championship organisers are still seeking $3.74 million to successfully stage the meet. The budget for the meet is $9 million.