AFTER witnessing what he considers another successful staging, GraceKennedy Group Chief Executive Officer Don Wehby says it intends to continue increasing its investment in the ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys’ and Girls’ Athletics Championships.

GraceKennedy, with its various brands, has been the sponsor of the top high school track and field event in the region since 2007, funding over $1 billion in that time.

In celebrating their 102nd anniversary the company pumped close to $180 million for the 2024 edition, but Wehby told the Jamaica Observer he expects that to be increased following a thrilling five days.

“We’re very proud. A lot of work has gone into it with my team,” he said. “When we sponsor an event we don’t just draw a cheque, but we sponsor with a heart so you see a significant amount of Grace staff here participating in Champs to ensure it’s been a successful staging.

“We’ve been working well with ISSA and we’re quite happy. This year, we invested $178 million. Every year we look at our budget and our sponsorship amount and, over the years, every year we’ve increased the amount so it’s likely [we’ll continue our sponsorship].”

In recent championships there have been concerns regarding the conduct of schools, with particular focus on athletes making offensive and disrespectful gestures which were televised globally.

Last year Wehby threatened to pull the sponsorship if cases like those continued, but after seeing no such controversies (up to the point of this interview) this year, Wehby credited the high school sports governing body for its efforts.

“Right after Champs last year we had extensive discussions with ISSA and we were very clear to ISSA our expectations in terms of discipline, going forward,” he said. “What everybody in Jamaica should know is that this isn’t just a local event — this is an international event that’s being watched all over the world.

“The eyes aren’t only on GraceKennedy and the Boys’ and Girls’ Championships but the whole of Jamaica — and we need to show the whole world that we are the number one country and that we have discipline. ISSA has been working, may I say, fairly quietly, but very effective. As you can see, this year has been a fantastic event with no disciplinary issues.”