STATEN ISLAND, New York — Some of the country’s top junior athletes, led by Muschett’s Shanoya Douglas and Hydel’s Abigail Campbell, will headline its participation in the New York International Showcase Indoor Championships here today at 5:00 pm.

The meet, which ends on Saturday and which will be held at Ocean Breeze Athletic Complex, has attracted over 2,000 participants from the United States, Canada, The Bahamas, Haiti, and Belize. The athletes are set to compete in the 60m, 55m hurdles, 200m, 300m, 400m, 800m, and 4x400m events.

Among the other top Jamaican junior athletes competing in the meet are Shaquane Gordon from Calabar; Johan-Ramaldo Smythe of Muschett; and Daniel Wright, Demarco Bennett, Ricardo Carr and Raheim Walker from Excelsior.

The championships’ chief organiser, Jamaican Olympian Sanjay Ayre, says everything is in place for what he hopes will be a successful staging.

Ayre says all the athletes are looking forward to competing in the meet, and he is anticipating some great battles.

“We are looking forward to a great meet, and for most of these Jamaican athletes it will be their first time competing indoors and I believe this will have a lasting impression for the rest of the season,” he said.

Ayre says the meet will greatly assist athletes with their preparation for the ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys’ and Girls’ Athletics Championships, which will be held in March.

“Any competition is good competition in your preparation, and I am just delighted that I am giving these kids an opportunity to compete overseas and have college coaches come out, scout them, and look at them for scholarships,” he said.

Excelsior Head Coach David Riley says his charges will be competing indoors for the first time in their careers, and it will provide a good opportunity for them to be scouted by college coaches in the United States.

“Most of these athletes, in another season or two, will be going to the US in the collegiate system to do indoor and outdoor competitions, so I think it is a good introduction to that experience, if not because they have not had the benefit of that experience prior to now,” he said.

“I also think that it will be good for them, as part of their overall preparations and development, to have that experience — so that is one of the reasons why we are participating.”

Riley says his athletes are anxiously awaiting the start.

“They are all excited about this meet because travelling is always something that people will look forward to — and that is probably because they have not experienced winter-type weather — so we are hoping for a good experience,” he said.