The lead organiser of this year’s third staging of the East Coast International Showcase is anticipating a thrilling competition as top junior athletes from Jamaica go head-to-head with their counterparts from the United States and the Caribbean.

The eagerly awaited event, conceived by Jamaican Olympian Sanjay Ayre, is scheduled for May 4 in Landover, Maryland.

Ayre told the Jamaica Observer that the aim is to deliver another spectacular event, with some of the best junior athletes from Jamaica, the United States, Canada, the Cayman Islands, and the Bahamas confirmed to participate.

“The planning has been progressing smoothly, and expectations are high after last year’s success. We put on a magnificent showcase, and we anticipate another great event this year,” Ayre stated. “We have Quincy Wilson, the United States’ collegiate record holder indoors for the 400 metres. He clocked 45.76. He also recently posted a time of 45.19 at the Florida Relays last weekend, so he will be a headline attraction for the United States on the men’s side.

“On the women’s side, Briana Shelby from the US will be headlining the 100m. She’s a New Balance champion in the 60 metres, and we will have many more American athletes at the meet.”

Ayre listed prominent Jamaican schools such as Hydel High, St Jago High, Excelsior High schoolboys, Jamaica College, Wolmer’s Girls’, Muschett High, St Elizabeth Technical High School, Titchfield High, Lacovia High, Holmwood Technical, St Mary High, Vere Technical, as well as Javaughn Dunkley from Elite Performance, as participants. He emphasised his continued and relentless efforts to secure some members of Edwin Allen girls’ team for the event.

Since the inception of the meet two years ago, Ayre said the organisation has managed to cover all invited schools’ expenses, including airfare, accommodations, and meals, and plan to continue this support this year.

“We are currently working on securing more sponsorships for the event, but we’re unable to accommodate every school. Over the past two years, we haven’t asked any Jamaican schools to cover their expenses to attend,” Ayre, who represented Jamaica at the 2000, 2004, and 2008 Olympic Games, explained.

“However, we are striving to secure additional sponsorship to bring in more rural schools, offering them the opportunity to travel for exposure,” he added.