HIGH school sports will return today, almost a month after the passage of Hurricane Melissa, with the resumption of the Inter-secondary School Sports Association (ISSA) Urban Area netball and boys’ basketball.

Nine netball matches are set for four venues while seven basketball games, set for four venues, will also tip off a week after the restart of schools across the island.

The rural area competitions are set to follow a day later when the second round of the netball competition will resume, with the boys’ basketball competitions set to get under way on Wednesday.

Later on in the week the Manning Cup football competition, contested among urban area schools and the rural area daCosta Cup, both at the Round of 16 stages, will resume on Friday and Saturday respectively.

Multiple netball and basketball games will be played at single venues, especially in the rural areas, according to schedules released by ISSA last week.

On Tuesday, Mount Alvernia High will host three games in the netball competition while a day later, York Castle High will host four boys’ basketball games.

Manchester High was scheduled to host eight games when that zone of the boys’ basketball started, but with the withdrawal of Knox College that number could be reduced by two games.

Two weeks ago ISSA announced plans for the restart of the competitions, despite calls from some quarters that the rest of the season, particularly for football, be cancelled in view of the damage to buildings at no fewer than six of the 16 schools left contesting the daCosta Cup competition.

The six schools — all from western Jamaica which was the worst-affected area with the Category 5 hurricane making landfall in Westmoreland, close to the border with St Elizabeth, and travelling through parts of St James, and Trelawny — are St Elizabeth Technical, Maggotty High, Manning’s School, Cornwall College and Maldon High.

“ISSA reiterates its support for our member schools in these challenging times, and commits to providing the opportunity for our students to be engaged in wholesome sporting activities as a part of the process of healing and recovery as they attempt to return to normalcy,” ISSA said in a press release on Friday.

ISSA says the decision WAS MADE to restart the competitions after the conclusion of, “deliberations on the resumption of inter-schools sports competitions after the passing of Hurricane Melissa and its devastating impact on western Jamaica”, and “following consultations with its various stakeholders including participating schools, sponsors, match officials and its general membership”.

ISSA says, “Despite the impact of Hurricane Melissa on a number of its member schools, including some of those currently engaged in our competitions, there was an overwhelming sentiment from these schools, supported by other stakeholders, that we resume our competitions.

“ISSA is committed to using its competitions as a tool to aid in the recovery of our students from the physical and psychological impact of Hurricane Melissa. As such, we will be engaging our stakeholders, including the general public, in our post-Melissa competitions’ activities geared towards our hurricane relief efforts in support of affected schools.”

Calabar High made a donation of $100,000, as well as a number of relief items, prior to practise games between the schools’ Under-16 and Under-19 teams at Manning’s School in Savanna la Mar, Westmoreland, on Saturday. Manning’s School was damaged during Hurricane Melissa on October 28, and Calabar High extended a hand by playing the practise game and making the donation which included food, cleaning supplies, clothing, solar lighting equipment, football equipment, and cases of water. Pictured are (from left) Manning’s Football Programme General Manager Jessica Davidson, Manning’s Principal Steve Gordon, Calabar Old Boys’ Association – Washington Chapter – official Michael McPherson, Calabar team representative Ralston Phillips, and Calabar Assistant Manager Annette Pantry.