HATFIELD, Manchester — Two new schools — Ascot High and Hydel High — have been added to this year’s line-up of the Milo Central Champs, making the total number of schools slated to participate at the event’s 50th renewal to 40.

Speaking to the Observer at the Tropics View Hotel in Manchester, where the meet was launched Thursday, meet director Jerry Holness said while no new event will be added he is anticipating an exciting affair based on the premise that the top-five finishers in Girls’ Champs will come from the region.

“… The result of Central Champs is an indicator as to what is going to happen at (Boys and Girls’) Champs, especially in the girls’ section because more than likely the top-five (finishers) will be coming from the central region, so we are expecting some stiff competitions (on the track).”

This year’s championship, which will held at the GC Foster College in Angels, St Catherine next Thursday and Friday (March 11 and 12) will run off with the 400m hurdles open for boys and girls, starting at 9:30 am.

“We are expecting to run a tight schedule… we are expecting to have good competition from all the teams involved and I’m sure the public will want to come out… they are going to enjoy it,” said Holness, who will be the technical leader for Jamaica’s team to the 13th IAAF World Indoor Championships in Doha, Qatar later this month.

Holmwood Technical and St Jago High are the defending girls’ and boys’ champions, but Holness, who is also coach of the Manchester High School, believes that with a number of schools improving their track and field programme in the last year or two, they will have to come good if they are to extend their dominance in the region.

“Based on what is happening in the whole development of track and field in Jamaica… it won’t be any walk over for any of the defending champions. The challenge is going to be greater,” he said.

“There is a wider spread of athletes across the region, coaches are doing their research (and they) are getting wiser by the day… so all these factors put together will ensure that there is no ‘bed of roses’ for any of the teams, everybody will have to go out and produce at the end of the day,” Holness added.

Milo has been sponsoring the event for the past four years and while choosing not to disclose the value of their sponsorship, Suzanne Wilson-Wong, the company’s consumer marketing manager said that this year’s package has been increased.

“… We have increased the cash portion of our sponsorship in addition to our contribution to the sports nutritional lifestyle clinic and the prizes to the winners of all the races plus the coaches of the top-five schools,” she said while declaring Milo’s continued commitment to sports development.

“We decided to stay on board (because) Milo’s mandate is the development of future champions and central Jamaica has been dubbed the ‘powerhouse region of athletics’ so we figure it’s a good partnership…,” added Wilson-Wong.

For this, Holness is thankful: “Being able to have a title sponsor at this time with all the economic constraint… we really have to be grateful to the whole Milo board.”

Schools: Aabuttnott Gallimore, Ascot, Belair, Bellfield, Brown’s Town, Bustamante High, Central High, Charlemont High, Christiana High, Clarendon College, Claude McKay High, Cross Keys, Cumberland, deCarteret, Denbigh High, Dinthill, Edwin Allen High, Fern Court, Foga Road High, Garvey Maceo, Glenmuir, Guys Hill, Holmwood Technical, Hydel, Jonathan Grant, Kellits High, Kemps Hill High, Knox College, Lennon High, Manchester High, May Day, McGrath High, Mile Gully, Old Harbour High, Porus High, Spalding High, St Jago High, Tacius Golding, Vere Technical, Winston Jones High.