Five new schools are down to compete at the 12th Western Primary Invitational Athletics Championships which returns after a four-year break and will be held at Cornwall College on Friday at 9:00 am and Saturday at 10:00 am.

Twenty-one schools from four western parishes, including former winners Howard Cooke Primary, are expected to compete at the championships that returns to Cornwall College where it started 15 years ago due to the poor state of the synthetic running track at the Montego Bay Sports Complex.

Albion Primary and Barrett Town of St James, Daniel Town Primary of Trelawny, Chester Castle Primary of Hanover, and Revival All Age of Westmoreland are the new schools that have been listed to compete at the event.

The organisers, who are expecting 750 athletes to take part in the event, told the Jamaica Observer on Thursday all was in place for the championships. “Our major concern up to a week ago was the rain,” organising committee Chairman Albert Ferguson said. “While it is extremely hot, we are grateful that it’s not raining, largely because the championship is being held on grass and the area near Cornwall College usually has floods whenever it rains heavily.”

The athletes, who will be competing in four classes, will compete in 38 disciplines “shared equally among our boys and girls”, a press release said.

They will contest events ranging between 80m and 400m in their age groups as well as the 800m open and two relays, the 4×100 in classes, and the 4x40m open.

Athletes in classes one and two will compete over three rounds in the 100m and 200m and two rounds in the 400m, 4x100m, and the open 4x400m.

There will also be long jump for classes one and two for boys and girls as well as a high jump open for both genders.