THE 2010 Bigga/JISA Prep School Netball Competition was launched on Thursday at the Leila Robinson Court in Kingston. This represents the fifth year Bigga has been sponsoring the competition.

The defending champions are Hydel Prep School. The two new schools are Sacred Heart Prep from Christiana, Manchester, and Richmond Park Prep in Kingston.

Twenty-five prep schools will take to the courts in this year’s staging of the competition which will get underway next Tuesday.

The schools will compete in four zones in a round-robin format. The group winners and the runner-ups will advance to the two-group semi-finals which will again be played in a round-robin format, after which the group winners will compete in the finals.

The participating schools are:

Zone 1: Alvernia, Ardenne Prep, Bright Beginnings, Splendor, Meadowbrook, Our Lady of the Angels, and Suthermere.

Zone 2: Dunrobin, Quest, Sacred Heart, St Cecelia, Vaz, and Womer’s Prep.

Zone 3: Emanuel Christian Academy, Holy Childhood, Mavisville, Richmond Park, St Andrew, and Sts Peter & Paul.

Zone 4: Hydel, Lannaman, Mona, Portmore Missionary, St Theresa, and Trafalgar Christian.

The rally, which took place immediately following the launch, went to Dunrobin Prep, while Quest Prep copped the dress parade. The final will be contested on December 2 at the Leila Robinson Courts.

Some of the prep school netballers to have represented Jamaica are Nadine and Jodianne Ffrench of Maviaville Prep, Crystal Grant of Dunrobin Prep and Sateva Taylor of Ardenne Prep.

Joffia Johnson-Bell, marketing executive at Wisynco with responsibility for Bigga, said: “Bigga is happy to be sponsoring this year’s Bigga/JISA Prep School Netball Competition.

“Our overall commitment includes cash, purchase of medals, product and promotional support.”

She also indicated that in addition to netball, Bigga sponsored prep school track and field champs which was held earlier in the year, as well as football which will be launched today.