Hydel, Cumberland out of Manning Cup following merger
Hydel and Cumberland high schools will not be participating in this year’s ISSA Manning Cup as the two schools move to merge their operations.
Observer Online understands that the merger has not yet been finalised, and a name for the merged entity has not yet been determined.
Hydel had been doing very well in the urban area Manning Cup, reaching two finals in 2012 and 2023, losing both times. Formed in 1993, they won the Walker Cup in 2018, while the girls have won the ISSA Girls’ Athletics Championships twice, in 2023 and 2025.
The Hydel Group of Schools is located on government property on Ferry. The institution had been struggling financially and was asked to vacate the premises, prompting the urgent search for a new campus.
The Portmore-based Cumberland High has been identified as having the physical capacity to host the combined school populations.
The governing Inter Secondary Schools Sports Association (ISSA) has declared that student athletes of both schools will be eligible to participate in any ISSA-run sport immediately and would not be treated as a transfer.
