SPORTS Minister Olivia “Babsy” Grange welcomed the return of the Institute of Sports (INSPORTS) Primary Schools Athletics Championships after a two-year hiatus resulting from the novel coronavirus pandemic.

Grange, who was guest speaker at the launch of the event at the National Stadium’s Hospitality Room on Tuesday, said the forced break has gone on “for too long”.

The meet will be staged May 26-28 at the National Stadium.

“Let’s welcome back these championships,” she said to a room full of coaches, athletes, and INSPORTS officials.

“Since the Primary Schools Champs started in 1982 the event has become a permanent fixture on the local athletics calender, making an impact on more than six thousand students on average annually,” Grange said.

She told the gathering that the Government has invested millions of dollars as the championships has proven to be a fantastic development arena for many athletes.

“We think of World and Olympics 100-metre gold medalist Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce; Olympic and World 400m hurdles champion Melaine Walker; Olympic bronze medallist Warren Weir, and many others,” she noted, referencing the the athletes who were products of the event.

Grange also turned the spotlight on more recent athletes who came through the “Primary Champs” such as 2015 World Youth Athletics 400 metres champion Christopher Taylor, Tyreke Wilson, Raheem Chambers, and current young star Brianna Lyston of Hydel High.

“The INSPORTS Primary Schools Athletics Championships is all about providing a track and field platform, with a view to identifying talents at the earliest possible stage and channelling them through a structured programme for national and international representation, and we have done that quite well,” the sport minister noted.

Grange is appealing to the private sector to come on board and give their support to the Primary Champs while also looking for the support of the public to come and “witness your future athletic stars in the making”.

— Gerald Reid