JAMAICA’S team to the World University Games (WUG) next month is solely track and field-based, but the local intercollegiate sporting body is determined to give non-traditional sports a share of the spotlight for future championships.

Rashid Hall, an executive member of the Jamaica Intercollegiate Sports Association, expressed regret that the make-up of the current 11-strong team for the July 6-17 Games in Russia is unidimensional.

Lack of funding has been the bane of the intercol outfit and that forced a downsizing of the initially proposed delegation, but Hall is optimistic that the championships in 2015 will bring better fortune.

“It’s disappointing (to not have other sporting disciplines in Russia), but the next Games is two years time in South Korea and we just have to start working from now to ensure we have representation in other sports outside of track and field,” he told the Jamaica Observer.

“Our intention was to prove that Jamaica can do well in non-traditional sports by carrying minor sports — that have done well — to the WUG.

“Within the body, we have top local players, but we have not been able to use that… to attain funding. In moving forward for the next few years, we plan to have specific and strategic plans to try and raise the profile and awareness of the achievements of our students in these sports (which are) considered minor,” added Hall, the chairman of track and field at Intercol.

At the Games in Shenzhen, China, in August 2011, Jamaica finished with nine medals, including six gold, two silver and a bronze.

Though cognisant of the benefits of using the glamorous track and field discipline as the flagship to attract sponsors, Hall, who has previously called for closer ties with the island’s sporting bodies, said Intercol’s drive has been ongoing to raise the profile of sports such as netball, basketball, badminton, and table tennis.

He conceded that those efforts have not yet been rewarded.

“We started to try to get them (the other sports) out there a bit more (with a social media push). Coming out of our AGM (annual general meeting) and our strategic discussions we are making some changes, for example basketball. We think that is one of the sports that is rising as well. Netball is one of our better sports and we have a number of national athletes, (and) we try to push that as much as possible. The schools compete not just in the intercollegiate structure, but also in the national structure, so we want to showcase the fact that our athletes are at the top.

“(But) there isn’t any reward as yet,” he said.

Last Thursday, Hall along with the Intercol Sports’ general secretary Moy Ann Simpson, first vice-president Everard Owen, second vice-president Dalton Myers, treasurer Valdimir Wallace, Dr Paula Daley Morris and founding member Dr Alfred Sangster met with the Observer’s Sport Desk to discuss matters affecting the Association.