ARMED with a permit from the Kingston and St Andrew Corporation (KSAC), organisers are reporting that all is set for today’s third staging of the University of Technology (UTech) Track and Field Classic at the National Stadium.

There were doubts as to whether the meet would be allowed to go ahead at the National Stadium following comments by Kingston Mayor Desmond McKenzie that the facility remains unsafe.

However, co-chairman of the meet Anthony Davis, yesterday told Sporting World that the necessary approvals were ascertained and everything is in place for a stellar meet.

“Remember that there was another report that came out after, that an independent structural engineer visited the site and found nothing to be wrong with the venue,” Davis said.

“Needless to say, we have in our possession and we have turned over to the police, the permit from the KSAC and we have returned the signed contract to IPL (Independence Park Limited) which is attached to it certificates of authorisation from KSAC, ODPEM, the Ministry of Health and the Fire Brigade, so all regulatory body conditions that we need to satisfy, has been satisfied,” the sports administrator added.

In the meantime, still smarting from the bad publicity associated with last year’s staging of the UTech Classic, when several of the top billed athletes did not compete, Davis indicated that all is being done to avoid a similar occurrence.

“What I will say is that the meet will have several medallists from Beijing and the World Championships (in Berlin)… they have accepted the invitations and they have confirmed that they will attend,” he said.

Based on the start-lists provided by the meet organisers, a number of mouth-watering races should be on show this afternoon, including the men’s 100m where Nesta Carter, Yohan Blake and Michael Frater — the third, fourth and sixth fastest Jamaicans of all times — will square off.

In the women’s equivalent, World sprint hurdles gold medallist Brigitte Foster-Hylton will face Sherone Simpson (fourth fastest Jamaican female), Schillonie Calvert and Puerto Rican Jennifer Gutierrez.

The women’s 400m will feature World and Olympic 400n hurdles champion Melaine Walker and two-time World Junior medallist Sonita Sutherland.

Former World 100m record holder Asafa Powell will contest his first 200m since 2007, when he faces American Travis Padgett and Xavier Brown. Olympic and World 400m silver medallist Shericka Williams will face off with Berlin 200m finalist Anneisha McLaughlin and Rosemarie Whyte in the women’s half-lap event.

Last December, the UTech escaped major sanctions from the Fair Trading Commission (FTC), following a probe into the “no-show” of several top athletes — including former 100m world record holder Asafa Powell — who were billed to appear at the Classic on April 18, 2009.

According to a ‘Consent Agreement’ UTech were ordered to issue a public apology and pay the FTC the sum of $126,333.30 by way of costs incurred in the investigation of the complaint (general public).

UTech had faced the possibility of a maximum fine of $5 million.