The reasons for the rivalry

Dhane Brown & Ian Williams

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Last Friday, a student of Kingston College was attacked and wounded by students from another popular Corporate Area school. This incident has not only highlighted the annual rivalry that builds up to the Boys' and Girls' Championships, but the gruesome level to which this rivalry has escalated.

The near fatal incident that took place in the middle of Half-Way-Tree was just one of the many on a long list of violent and disgraceful acts stemming from a once peaceful and patriotic rivalry. These ever increasing acts of violence have many wondering where did it begin, who started it and why did it get to this level?

TEENage after speaking with past athletes and track and field pundits, gathered that this fierce rival began with peaceful jeering after Calabar High ended Kingston College's 14-year win streak in 1980.

Calabar then went on to rule the 1980s at the championships. Ever since this period in history, the heated battle was on.

The incidents then gradually increased from friendly altercations to bloody duels, to an all out brawl between athletes from rival schools that led to the suspension of both Kingston College and Calabar from the championships in 1982.

While Kingston College and Calabar were the most violent they were not the only two schools involved in this heated rivalry. The likes of Jamaica College, Wolmer's Boys' School, Excelsior High and St George's College, to a lesser extent, have all played a part in this violent behaviour.

Others, like veteran photojournalist Bryan Cummings, believe that the rivalry has a lot to do with the original seating arrangements that used to be prevalent at Champs. At one point, the winners of the competition the previous year would sit at gates nine and 10 with the second place beside them and so on. It was after Kingston College's 14-year winning streak that that unofficial rule changed and the seating "restrictions" were rescended. With Calabar perennially placing second to the North Street-based school, peaceful jeering and flag waving soon escalated to outright disdain and animosity between the groups.

Whatever the exact origin, what is clear is that each year around January, battle lines are religiously drawn and held until the four-day spectacle takes place.

Cummings also believes that the rivalry benefits the athletes to some extent. "It's good for the competition. It allows athletes to overperform. It gives them an added impetus and pushes them to their limit."

To a great extent he is right. Any casual observer of Champs will be able to tell you that the races involving the two main schools always produce stellar performances and one of the main pull factors for Champs veiwers.

Unfortunately, this fanatical behaviour also takes a negative turn when students from both schools take the rivarly to violent proportions. The virtual battle lines come to life and students from particular schools are fearful of going to various transportation hubs.

Like many others, noted track and field enthusiast, HG Helps believes that the violent turn that the rivarly has taken is nothing more than a reflection of the society.

Television Jamaica sportscaster Patrick Anderson agrees.

"It's a reflection of the times, 1670 persons died last year and unfortunately many of those murders occured in the same communities where these students are from."

Anderson went as far as to posit that many of the perpetrators of these acts were not even current students of the schools involved, but were instead past or expelled students or simply fanatical follwers with no obvious reason for their allegiance.

The Inter-Secondary School Sports Association for their part have tried to quell these incidents. for the past few years, they have invited the student leaders and principals of the schools involved to peace summits. Helps thinks that it would take more than that, however, "It will take a wide national effort now to stop the problem."

He continued "First, it would take a broad education campaignthat will start in the classrooms to promote peaceful rivarly there". He went on to state that criminal punishment for those involved can also prove to be a deterrent. "Finally, a strong marketing campaign that can reach the entire Jamaica must be used."

This campaign he felt should focus on the idea of being friends for life and competitors on the track only.

All in all, this occurence of school rivalry being ignited for a three-month span highlights impractical reasoning among students of competing schools. In order to preserve and improve the essence of what Champs was founded upon, this trivial activity needs to come to a peaceful end before we lose Champs all together.

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Police threat level at extreme

The reasons for the rivalry