The Jamaica Track and Field Coaches Association (JATAFCA) has produced a document proposing a wide range of changes to the current format for the Inter-secondary Schools Sports Association (ISSA)/GraceKenndy Boys and Girls Athletics Championships (“Champs”)that they feel can result in the successful staging of the event in 2021.

After a two-day meeting last month, members of the association have come up with a document that they believe takes all of the factors into account for the resumption of Jamaica’s premier high school track and field event.

The outbreak of the novel coronavirus had forced the cancellation of Champs earlier this year.

The late start to the school year, along with online classes, means that student athletes have not been involved in the usual early season preparations, and so the proposal suggests a later start to Champs by a month. Instead of the usual end of March staging, it is being proposed that the event be staged April 19 to 24, one more day than the customary five.

There is also an alternative recommendation of separate Champs for boys and girls being staged over four days on separateweekends.

A key feature of the proposal is to eliminate, at least for now, “finals day” which usually happens on Saturday, the last day of Champs.

The long-mooted proposal of spreading the finals over a number of days to effectively limit crowd size is among the points being put forward. It has been a long held view that, similar to events such as the World Championships and Olympic Games, the majority of finals should be spread over a number of days and not mostly held on “Super Saturday” as now obtains.

On the matter of athlete control, the proposal is that once an athlete has been eliminated from competition he or she would leave the stadium versus returning to the “camp site” of his or her school, thereby reducing the number of athletes in the competitive area daily. A separate entry for athletes, team officials and meet management officials should also be established, according to the proposal.

There is also a suggestion that each school creates its own “bubble” in line with established protocols.

Another important consideration is the number of participants, which runs into the thousands each year. An increase in the qualification standards and the elimination of a “B” standard is seen as a way to have a “leaner” Champs.

— Dwayne Richards