World 100m and 200m record holder Usain Bolt and IAAF female Athlete of the Year American Sanya Richards, head a list of top-class athletes down to compete at the eighth staging of the Jamaica International Invitational (JII) on May 1.

However, the meet which has a new title sponsor in the form of Jamaica National Building Society (JNBS), will be void of many MVP track club stars. According to athletes’ liaison, Donald Quarrie, Asafa Powell, Shelly-Ann Fraser, Melaine Walker, Sherone Simpson and Brigitte Foster-Hylton will not be performing at the meet.

“Between last night (Thursday) and this (yesterday) morning we got news all the top athletes from MVP will not be competing in the meet,” Quarrie told Sporting World yesterday at the Terra Nova All-Suite Hotel in Kingston.

“What is strange is that we were talking, everything was going well and suddenly they’re just not,” Quarrie added, before reading a letter from one of MVP’s managers indicating that Powell, Foster-Hylton, Williams and Simpson won’t be available for the JII meet.

“I received the schedule of the requested meet for the athletes from coach Francis and the Kingston meet was not included for these athletes. The first major international meet for any of these athletes will be the Diamond League meet in Doha on May 14,” said visibly upset Quarrie as he read from the letter.

In the meantime, general manager of JNBS Earl Jarrett, who declined to disclose the dollar value of his company’s sponsorship of the meet, only offered that the deal with the Jamaica Amateur Athletics Association (JAAA) is a long-term one. The arrangement between the two entities will see them working together on a number of projects leading up to the London 2012 Olympics.

“I rather not (disclose sponsorship figure) actually,” Jarrett told Sporting World at yesterday’s media conference.

“I just wanted to frame our support in a context that between now and 2012… we’re providing some financial support for the JAAA; we’re helping to fix up their institutional capacity, and so it’s in that context that we have not put a figure on the table,” Jarrett added.

The Sports Development Foundation (SDF), which was the major sponsor of the IAAF Permit Meet, is again pumping US$300,00 (J$27 million) into the event this year.

President of the JAAA, Howard Aris, who acknowledged the support of the SDF for the eighth straight year, was also delighted that JNBS has agreed to partner with his organisation.

“That (SDF sponsorship) forms the platform on which all other financial considerations are looked at. Additional sponsorship therefore would only supplement that amount of money and we’re trying each year to bring on new players,” Aris said.

Meanwhile, Bolt, who clocked 9.76 seconds in the 100m at the 2008 edition of the meet, will contest the 200m, where he will square off against American World Championship medallist Wallace Spearmon. Bolt’s Racer’s track club training partner Marvin Anderson will also line-up for the 200m.

The women’s equivalent will see Jamaica’s two-time Olympic gold medallist Veronica Campbell-Brown, who won the World Indoor 60m title last month, clashing with reigning World 400m champion Sanya Richards and Debbie Ferguson-McKenzie of the Bahamas.

The men’s 100m will see the likes of Nesta Carter and Michael Frater from the MVP track Club taking on Yohan Blake of Racers track Club along with defending champion Darvis Patton of the USA. America’s Carmelite Jeter, Muna Lee and Marshavet Hooker will oppose Olympic and World 100m silver medallist Kerron Stewart, Aleen Bailey and Simone Facey in the female equivalent.

The men’s 400m hurdles will also be hotly-contested as two-time world champion Kerron Clement of the USA take on the Jamaican pair of Danny McFarlane and Isa Phillips.

The women’s 400m will see Jamaican’s Novlene Williams-Mills and Rosemarie Whyte going up against the American pair of Dee Dee Trotter and Monica Hargrove. Olympic champion Dawn Harper will renew her rivalry with Dellonreen Ennis London in the 100m hurdles, while David Payne, Aries Merritt and Antwon Hicks take on Jamaica’s Dwight Thomas, Richard Phillips and Maurice Wignall in the 110m hurdles.

The men’s shot put will again feature World Champion Christian Cantwell.