WITH a shortfall of approximately $2.5 million, Jamaica Intercollegiate Association is appealing to corporate Jamaica to assist it in sending a reduced team to the World University Games in Kazan, Russia.

With the proposed delegation drastically cut from 38 to 15 for the Games due July 6-17, Intercol had to drop several sporting events and concentrate only on track and field.

“We have continually gone and we have continually done well and it begs the question: why is it that we now struggle to send a full-fledged 30-member team that could demolish the rest of the world and that speaks to some of the challenges that we have,” said Dalton Myers, second vice-president.

Having been allocated four tickets by the International University Sports Federation (FISU) and with cost being US$3,700 per person for airfare and accommodation, Intercol is struggling to make ends meet despite a subvention of $800,000 from the Sports Development Foundation (SDF).

It will cost approximately $5 million to send the reduced team of 11 athletes and with just under two weeks before the games begin, Intercol is still short by $2.5 million.

“It’s tough times for everyone and we are still open to sponsors. If we get anything near $2.5 million we should do well financially in Kazan. Anything over $3 million, we would be grateful for,” said treasurer Valdimir Wallace.

“The SDF has been very kind and generous to us over the years, but as it stands now when it comes to sponsorships, it’s a rough area, we try our very best and we hope as our success reaches more and the wider Jamaica, then more persons will see the need to invest,” Wallace reiterated.

The proposed delegation had the number one-ranked table tennis player, badminton player and their respective coaches dropped. Additionally, three track and field student athletes had to be removed from the delegation. However, if funds become available before the team departs on July 3, others could be added to the delegation, but based on the time factor, that would be difficult.

The 11-member track and field team was selected not necessarily from Jamaican universities but from Jamaicans performing overseas as well, highlights Rashid Hall, manager of the team.

“We compared world rankings and results from the last three World University Games and we want to select athletes that are close to medal contention once they perform up to par,” noted Hall.

The last Intercol team reaped nine medals, including six gold, two silver and one bronze for their best-ever haul.

Athletes to Kazan, Russia: Women — Danielle Dowie of the University of Texas Austin, 400mh; Danielle Williams of the Johnson C Smith University, 100mh; Shanieka Thomas of San Diego State University, triple jump; Anastasia LeRoy of GC Foster, 400m. Men — Deuce Carter of UWI, Mona, 110h; Julian Forte of UTech Jamaica, 200m; Nicholas Watson of UTech Jamaica, 100m; Rasheed Dwyer of GC Foster College, 200m; defending champion Raymond Brown of GC Foster, shot put; Travis Smikle of UWI, Mona, discus; and Nicholas Maitland of UWI, Mona, 400m. Officials: Matthew Parchment (physiotherapist, massage therapist (UWI); Paul Francis (coach, UTech, Jamaica);

Rashid Hall (manager UWI, Mona) and Anthony Davis (head of delegation (UTech, Jamaica).