THOUGH police who had to contend with violent clashes among students and spectators and other incidents on the outside said it was the worst they had to deal with, inside the National Stadium, the 2008 ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys' & Girls' Athletic Championships Organising Committee chairman Clement Radcliffe said organisers were satisfied that the event went off virtually incident free.

RADCLIFFE . we are satisfied and I am thrilled at the outcome of the Champs in this my first year

"For the first time in my memory they had no incidents inside the National Stadium over the four days, the officials were as professional as ever, the meet was run in excellent fashion, we were on time on the last day and the excitement was no less as expected," Radcliffe, who is in his first year as Organising Committee chairman, having taken over the job from former Wolmer's Boys principal Dave Myrie, said.

There were no reported incidents inside the National Stadium, field invasions, or overcrowding and after the Championships the winning schools entered the competition area in an orderly fashion.

"We used the reports from last year and endeavoured to address those problems," Radcliffe said. "We sold a maximum of 20,000 tickets for the Bleachers this year... overcrowding was not a major issue, we would have still loved our patrons to have cleared the aisles and passages, but I suppose that's a work in progress."

As recently as 2005, Radcliffe, then president of the Inter-Secondary Schools Sports Association (ISSA), threatened to discontinue the Championships after an incident in the Bleachers, just hours before the final event on the last day, saw hundreds of spectators invading the field and causing an extended delay to action on the track.

"I must commend the patrons, who turned up at the stadium, agreed to almost massive security programmes...the security officers went even beyond what we agreed on to ensure that there were no weapons in the Stadium."

Tail combs, toothbrushes, scissors, lighters, pens and bottles of cologne confiscated at the gates by security personnel, piled up, filling several boxes over the four days of the Championships.

ISSA spent 20 percent of this year's budget on security and hired three firms, as well as enlisted the help of the police to deal with security matters.

The Glenmuir High School principal said the only breach he was aware of was the large flags which were brought into the stadium.

"Outside of that, we are satisfied and I am thrilled at the outcome of the Champs in this my first year," he added.

Away from the stadium, things were not so rosy, however as police on Friday reported that nine students were arrested and charged with possession of offensive weapons and marijuana and there were reports of clashes among rivalling supporters in the Cross Roads and at the Half-Way-Tree Transportation Centre.

Radcliffe said the incidents were cause for concern for Championships title sponsors GraceKennedy, who are in the second year of a three-year sponsorship deal worth over US$200,000.

After four days of action, the 2008, ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys' and Girls' Athletic Championships concluded on Saturday with Holmwood winning their sixth consecutive Girls Championships and Calabar, their 2st overall, and their second in a row.

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