All set for ‘Champs 100’ Awards Banquet
THE Inter-secondary Schools Sports Association (ISSA) is reporting that all is set for the successful staging their Awards Banquet to recognise outstanding athletes, coaches and officials as part of the ‘Champs 100’ celebrations this evening at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel.
Chairperson of the organising committee of the 100th celebration and ‘Champs’ itself, Coleen Montaque, says the function, which starts at 6:30, will be a Gala event.
“You will see the history of ‘Champs’ unfold at this banquet because we’re recognising all categories and stakeholders who have contributed to ‘Champs’,” Montaque told the Observer yesterday.
“We’re talking about officials, coaches, the ISSA organising body, as well as athletes from 1910 to 2010,” she added, noting that former Prime Minister Norman Manley and Olympic medallist Arthur Wint and Lennox Miller are among the athletes to be recognised posthumously.
“Other athletes to be recognised include Donald Quarrie, Raymond Stewart, Lindy Delapenha, Trevor Campbell and Daniel England, coming right down inclusive of Usain Bolt,” Montaque said.
The Wolmer’s Girls’ principal explained that the athletes being awarded in each decade were selected on performances over their competitive years at ‘Champs’, which is now sponsored by GraceKennedy.
“From the female perspective, we’re talking about Jacqueline Pusey, Inez Turner, Bev McDonald and Aleen Bailey, to name a few, and among the coaches we’ll honour persons like Michael Clarke, Herb McKenley (posthumously), Constantine Haughton… the coaches who have been multiple winners,” she said.
In the meantime, Montaque hinted that the 100th celebration of ‘Champs’, which was launched on December 14 at the Terra Nova Hotel, has been going well and will move to another level with this evening’s function.
“Basically eveything is in place; tickets are alomost gone. We may have just a few tickets left for tomorrow (today) and it should be a really grand event,” she reiterated.
It is understood that just over 300 tickets were printed for the exclusive event, with each costing $5,000.
“Of course, the invited awardees would have been accommodated (separately),” Montaque added.
