MoBay looks for return of top athletes
MONTEGO BAY, St James — With the official opening of the Montego Bay Sports Complex at Catherine Hall just under two weeks ago, there are hopes that world classed athletics will return to western Jamaica.
Ray Harvey, former president of the Jamaica Amateur Athletics Association (JAAA) and Meet Director of the Western Relays that are held in February voiced the hope at the June 5 opening while delivering the vote of thanks.
For the past two years the Western Relays have been held at the GC Foster Sports College in Angels, St Catherine as the Catherine Hall facility was not ready.
In his address, Harvey who was also the patron of the Western Primary Invitational meet, said “hopefully now that the stadium is open we can go back to having top classed athletes here.”
He went on to say that “there is no greater inspiration for young athletes that to see his or her (track and field) hero in living colour.”
In the over 30 years that the Western Relays (formerly COMETS Relays) have been satged in Montego Bay, nearly every locally-based athlete who has gone on to represent the country at the highest level, have competed at the meet.
Harvey also voiced the concerns of the football fraternity who were absent saying they too had big plans for the facility and called for the upgrading of the field and for the addition of floodlights.
“Nothing comes before its time” Harvey said about the facility that started construction over a decade ago, “and now it is time for the Montego Bay Sports Complex.”
He said the utilisation of the facility was a concern he shared with the Mayor Charles Sinclair who also addressed the opening, adding that it was his hope that the venue would be used and not be left idle for long periods of time.
Harvey also charged young athletes who were taking part in the meet, to make the best of what was being offered to them.
“There is a new day in track and field, there are many opportunities left, right and centre and it is not as intermittent as in the past and success in the sport can guarantee you a great future.”
