LIME’s Vice-President of Marketing Carlo Redwood says his organisation will be meeting with the Inter-secondary Schools Sports Association (ISSA) as to the way forward following what appears to be a breach of their advertising agreement courtesy of Calabar star athlete Michael O’Hara’s displaying the mantra of their telecommunications rivals Digicel during the recently concluded ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys’ and Girls’ Athletics Championships.

“We will be meeting and discussing with ISSA as to what the other repercussions are about our sponsorship and the impact on our sponsorship,” Redwood told the Jamaica Observer earlier this week.

“We are going to have our own evaluation around the entire Champs experience as usual and what we got from the sponsorship and then decide what happens going forward with ISSA,” he added.

The incident occurred after Calabar’s captain O’Hara won the 200m for his third individual gold medal at Champs. At the end of the contest O’Hara quickly removed his school’s vest and displayed a red and green undershirt with the words “Be Extraordinary”.

There was an immediate buzz around the packed National Stadium, certainly not for his 20.58 seconds clocking, but because those words are associated with Digicel at a LIME-sponsored event.

“We are disappointed that a moment that was there for Calabar High school was taken away by him removing his Calabar jersey to reveal what was a commercial message for a brand,” said Redwood.

“It would take away from the experience of the junior athletes and the experience of the captain doing that with a team celebrating his team versus a brand. That’s the initial disappointment,” he added.

Almost immediately following O’Hara’s victory, Digicel announced him on its Instagram page as their newest brand ambassador.

“Other than that, our first and bigger position is the disappointment around sponsors taking away from what Champs is all about. It’s really about the students. It’s really about the schools. It’s really about celebrating junior and amateur athletes and for them to take away the moment, I think is disappointing,” Redwood reiterated.

“It was disrespectful to the school and to the many students and the rest of the team and that’s our disappointment.”

Reverend Karl Johnson, chairman of Calabar High school’s board, while addressing students at Monday’s devotion, gave his views on the situation.

“I am deeply grateful for the input of the sponsors. The sponsors are not owners, the sponsors are mere supporters and I know that the sponsors know that,” said Johnson.

“We encourage them not to succumb to any temptation to forget they are not owners, they are only supporters of the event,” he reiterated.

“We know that the battle has gotten hot for sponsorship for this event. Let that not detract from the work of the athlete and those involved in the actual execution of Champs. Let it not become a sideshow. Let it not become a force, a source of distraction. Work it out so that together Jamaica wins,” he urged.

“I want you thank those Calabar ambassadors. Long before other people took our term, we were using it. These are our Calabar brand ambassadors. This is brand Calabar. They are the ones who went out there and put their bodies on the line and I want you to give them the loudest cheer you can,” said Johnson.

Meanwhile, Albert Corcho, principal of Calabar High School, apologised in a press release on Tuesday.

“Calabar High School regrets the action of one of our student ambassadors at the recently concluded ISSA Boys’ and Girls’ Athletics Championships at the National Stadium on Saturday in exposing gear other than the approved school’s athletic wear,” said Corcho.

“This was unfortunate and was done without the knowledge and support of the school.

“We also take note of some of the issues raised as a result of the incident and pledge our readiness to participate in the establishment of rules and regulations that will govern matters of this nature in the future.

“In the meantime, the school has begun to put measures in place to ensure that our ambassadors do not engage in such practices at future events,” the statement concluded.