MONTEGO BAY, St James — Meet director of the annual Milo Western Relays, Ray Harvey, has confirmed that despite the state of public emergency imposed on the parish of St James, the event will be staged this year.

“The show will go on. The Milo Western Relays will be held this year,” Harvey declared in an interview with the Jamaica Observer West.

He said the organising committee had received several calls from schools and teams across the island asking whether the event would be held on the traditional date of the second weekend of February.

The event, which will celebrate its 40th staging this year, will be held on February 10, and will have its media launch this morning at the Holy Trinity Church Hall in Montego Bay, set to start at 9:00 am.

“This event has been a staple on the track and field calendar for four decades, and while there will be some adjustments to comply with the laws and the security forces, we will still be putting on our usual high level of competition,” Harvey pointed out.

IAAF World Under-18 (Youth) Championships medallists Antonio Watson of Petersfield High and Kevona Davis of Edwin Allen High, as well as Michael McIntosh, coach of Green Island High, will be the honorees at the meet.

Watson and Davis have been selected as the outstanding athletes of 2017 and will be recognised along with meet patron Michael McIntosh, during the opening ceremony at the meet.

“We had no problems in the selection of these three outstanding persons to honour this year,” Harvey declared.

“Both youngsters did us proud at the final IAAF World Under-18 championships last year, and are worthy candidates,” he argued, pointing out that while the choice was easy, there were others who had also performed with distinction.

“What separated these two was the fact that according to the rules of the selection committee, the athletes had to compete at the Western Relays and be able to collect the awards in person,” he noted.

The selection of the patron, he said, “was long overdue. Michael has been part of the meet for a long time in various capacities and it was easy for us to select him this year.”

Watson won the gold medal in the boys’ 400m at the World Under-18 championships, which have been taken off the calendar by the IAAF, while Davis, despite a hamstring injury, held on for a courageous bronze in the girls’ 100m.