MONTEGO BAY, St James – FIRST vice-president of the Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association (JAAA) Grace Jackson has called for the staging of more track and field meets in western Jamaica.

“The west is just not doing enough and when we see all the athletes coming out of western Jamaica… I only see two track meets,” Jackson said.

She was addressing Monday’s media launch of the fourth staging of the JPS Western Primary Schools championships.

The championships which will be held this Saturday at the Montego Bay Sports Complex is set to start at 8:00 am.

While praising Ray Harvey, Meet Director for the Milo Western Relays, Jackson said more needs to be done if more young persons are to be given the chance to compete and widen the pool that would be made available to the national selectors.

“You need to organise corporate entities in the west” she charged. “It needs to be driven and so I engage you today and you take this as a challenge, to engage corporate western Jamaica, engage organisers, encourage more meet organisers and give more opportunities to the young people of the west, it cost less than sending athletes to Kingston in a bus,” she argued.

Currently, there are four major annual meets in western Jamaica — the STETHS Invitational, held in late January; Western Relays held in mid-February, the boys and girls Western Champs that are held over three days and the Western Primary School champs.

Additionally, there are three other meets, the Custom Marbles COMETS Classic in December, the Irwin High First Chance meet, as well as the Mannings Invitational.

Meanwhile, four new schools will ensure a record number of 21 schools taking part in the meet this year.

St Simon Primary and Clifton Primary from Hanover, Granville All-Age from St James and Sir Clifford Campbell Primary from Westmoreland will be making their first appearance.

Wakefield Primary of Trelawny will defend their title after winning by a single point last year.

Meet organiser Albert Ferguson said this year’s renewal promises to be even more exciting.

After naming football referee and coach Michael ‘Bunny’ Marshall as the meet’s patron, Ferguson said athletes in Classes one and two will participate in the 100m, 200m, 400m, long jump and 4x100m relay.

There will also be 800m and 4x400m Open races that are limited to athletes in Classes one and two and will be run as finals.

Athletes in Class three will compete in the 100m, 200m, cricket ball throw and 4x100m, while athletes in Class four will contest the 80, 150m, cricket ball throw and 4x100m.