NEW President of the Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association (JAAA), Garth Gayle was beaming with pride on Saturday as track and field returned to life for the junior athletes with the staging of the Tyser-Mills Classics at Calabar High school.

Gayle lauded the meet organisers and praised Calabar for their efforts to jump-start track and field, which had been halted on the island from March of this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We at the JAAA’s are very happy. We are working with the meet organisers of the Tyser-Mills meet because this is the first of the meets to start our track and field calendar. We are proud of the work that has been put in.

“We must also acknowledge the work of Calabar High School for coming on board and providing the venue — and this goes a long way. Really and truly, I am very happy with the meet promoter, Mr Dunbar.”

The JAAA president said that Millar Dunbar, the meet organiser, had approached his organisation for assistance, which they were happy to provide to ensure that everything went well.

“Mr Dunbar came to us and he asked for assistance and we have been working with him, hand in hand. As you’ll notice there are several members of the executive of the JAAA that are here — vice-presidents, assistant honorary secretary and committee members are all here giving assistance.

“Some are assisting in officiating, others are helping with the meet management, so all in all we are very happy.”

Gayle was also pleased with the number of participants at the first meet of the season.

“It’s a small number and that is really what we wanted. We did not want to have too many athletes here and, as you notice, we have also maintained within the Government protocols of the spectator support, which will come back when things get back to normal in short order.”

He also indicated that this would be the new normal for the season, with more meets and less athletes at each event to enable more participation with limited risk.

“We are going to be working with [meet organisers] to ensure that the meets are manageable because of the COVID protocols. The Jamaican Government has put in the disaster plans and so we must work within those guidelines — and I know it can be a win-win situation. So, we are prepared to work with our meet promoters to give assistance technically and in other areas that we deem and they deem necessary, and we will work together, hand in hand.

“We are going back to the days of quadrangular, triangular meets but we give them assistance in how they go about organising, planning and effecting these events. We know that there can be other small meets in different parts of the country, and that goes a long way in developing the grass roots and young talents.

“It’s not to have over 2000 athletes, because sometimes the athletes are rushed in-between events. Here today, you will notice that the events are spaced out and the athletes are able to perform under a very comfortable and safe environment — and we know that this is the best way to develop the sport.”