FORGET the famous Oxford versus Cambridge University boat race; welcome the inaugural University of the West Indies (UWI)/University of Technology (UTECH) Sports Championship -- the "Clash of the Titans" -- set for September 18.

The one-day event was officially launched at the Mona Campus of the UWI yesterday and will match the UWI Pelicans against the UTECH Knights in five sporting disciplines -- football, cricket, basketball, netball and volleyball.

The Oxford versus Cambridge event began in 1829 and has become a major international sporting occasion, drawing millions of viewers from around the world, with up to 250,000 spectators crowding the banks of the River Thames from Putney to Mortlake to witness the action.

This UWI/UTECH showdown might not garner that following, but it is aimed at fostering greater integration between the two institutions, creating an avenue through which healthy rivalry can be built, and developing the individual school spirits.

UWI's campus registrar, Dr Camille Bell-Hutchinson, said this is just another example of collegiality and collaboration between UWI and UTECH.

"We are family. We are caught together in so many different activities. Even though we may be competitors in one sense, we actually work so well together in some many areas," Bell-Hutchinson pointed out.

Dianne Mitchell, UTECH's vice-president - registrar, said the competitions between the Pelican and the Knights is another collaborate venture by the university families.

"I have to commend the organisers as it will provide for the students and staff to meet in a relaxed atmosphere of friendly rivalry," said Mitchell.

Meanwhile, Anthony Davis, director of sports at UTECH, bemoaned the fact that university sport is always overlooked whenever athletes achieve international fame.

"We need to reverse this role. When we report on sports we always identify the high school that the student went to. They could be on the podium collecting an Olympic medal and you would hear so and so from Holmwood, but they are students at UTECH, they are students at UWI," said Davis.

"We are not recognised. We want to raise the awareness of what university sport is all about. This event, we hope, will lead us towards that," he added.

The one-day event, to be staged at the UWI Bowl on September 18, will also see a "tent city" displaying various wares from corporate Jamaica.

The event, which is free of cost, is billed as a combination of sports, food and entertainment.

UWI's campus registrar, Dr Camille Bell-Hutchinson (second right), and Dianne Mitchell, vice-president - registrar, UTECH, admire the UWI/UTECH Sports Championship trophy at Mona yesterday. They are flanked by UTECH's union president Temard Butterfield (left) and Jovaughn Neil, UWI's guild president. (Photo: Aston Spaulding)

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