THE University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona, will between May 21 and 30, host the third biennial staging of UWI Games 2013.

The UWI Games is an inter-campus championships programme held biennially between campuses of the university in the region. Within the past decade, the Games which started in the 1960s, has been biennially rotated among the University campuses — Cave Hill, Barbados, St Augustine, Trinidad, and now Mona, Jamaica.

During the 10-day period of the games, the students from the major campuses of UWI — Barbados, Mona, St Augustine and Cavehill and for the first time — the distance learning arm of the university — UWI Open Campus, will compete at the Mona Bowl facility in the categories of cricket, football, basketball, lawn tennis, swimming, netball, table tennis, hockey, volleyball, and track and field.

The launch for the event was held on the Mona campus of April 15.

According to Dalton Myers, director of sports at UWI, Mona, the event that will consist of fierce competition from students of the variety of cultural background who attend the campuses of UWI in the region.

“The 2013 staging of the UWI Games will see fierce competition amongst teams from UWI. Over the period, approximately 500 student-athletes representing their campus from different nationalities in these biennial games,” Myers said at the launch in his address.

Myers, at the launch, said among the top performers from UWI, Mona to look out for, are Jason Young, whose 19.86 secs was at the time the fourth fastest in Jamaica over the 200m and Hansle Parchment, London Olympian, who won a bronze medal. Also, Nadine Bryan and Malysha Kelly in netball, Travis Smikle and Nicholas Maitland in track and field and Paul Palmer in cricket.

“I think this event will be the best to help show that while UWI may still have a far way to go in sports, our high level of talented athletes and creativity in managing sports have come a far way,” Myers said before closing.

An opening ceremony will signal the start of the Games during the afternoon of May 21. Two main highlights of the Games will be a community outreach project on May 23 and Culture Night on May 25.

Cave Hill, Barbados, the defending champion and will be under pressure to retain its title against the other competing campuses.

— Ainsworth Morris