50 schools down for Primary Champs
FIFTY-TWO schools will vie for top honours in the inaugural staging of the 2022 Institute of Sports (INSPORTS) National Primary Schoolboys Athletics Championships which gets going this morning at the National Stadium, beginning at 9:00.
The three-day championships is the brainchild of the Sports Minister Olivia “Babsy” Grange.
Anthony Gibbs, senior sports officer of INSPORTS and meet director, said all three regions — Eastern, Central, and Western — provided exciting action in their respective editions and will now seek regional bragging rights.
He said only the top two athletes from each of the finals from their original three regional meets will participate for their schools in this national finals.
Apart from medals and trophies to be presented to the top three schools, cash is also on offer. The champions will receive $250,000, second place attracts a prize of $200,000, while $150,000 will be awarded for third. Fourth place to 10th will each collect $75,000.
Looking back at the three regional meets held recently, the three schools who won in the combined boys and girls points standings were Lyssons Primary, champions of Eastern Champs; Greater Portmore Primary, winners of Central Champs; and Corinaldi Primary, who won Western Champs.
However, the trio is not expected to have things easy as there are quite a few schools capable of springing a surprise or two. They include, but are not limited to St Richard’s Primary, Harbour View, Windward Road, St Patrick’s, Naggo Head Primary, Spanish Town Primary, Angels Primary, and Kensington Primary.
— Gerald Reid