Uncertainty remains as to whether the remainder of the high schools’ sporting calendar will be completed due to the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), according to Keith Wellington, president of the Inter-secondary Schools Sports Association (ISSA).

The ISSA National Boys’ and Girls’ Athletics Championships might have been the most high profiled sporting victim of the pandemic, but a number of other high schools sporting events have been cancelled, and there’s uncertainty regarding those that had started before the shutdown in mid-March.

Wellington told the Jamaica Observer last week that his association would be adopting a “wait-and-see” attitude, as well as examining what the conditions are like when schools reopen before a decision is taken.

A number of events — most of them in the lower age groups — have been cancelled, Wellington said. “Based on the uncertainty as it realities to the reopening of schools and the conditions under which we may reopen, ISSA had taken the decision that we would not start any competition that had not yet started, and as such Under-14 and Under-16 cricket would be cancelled for this year, as well as Under-14 basketball and netball.”

With the school term likely to be extended to late July to account for some of the time lost due to the Government’s health intervention, there could be time for these sporting disciplines already started to be completed, Wellington, added.

“We also took the decision to suspend all the competitions that were in progress and had not been completed, such as the Grace Shield and Headley Cup cricket competitions, girls football, and Urban Area table tennis and volleyball,” the ISSA boss said.

“We will wait and see what will happen for the rest of the school year to see if any or all of these competitions can be completed before the end of the school year.”