By Daraine Luton, Freelance WriterALL IS in place for this weekend's Supreme Ventures-sponsored National Senior Trials at the National Stadium.
"We are pretty much ready to go," Ian Forbes, chairman of the organisation committee, told The Gleaner yesterday.
The National Championships, which are normally held to select teams for various events, for the first time have a sponsor in Supreme Ventures which has pumped $1.5 million into the programme. However, as Forbes explained, that is merely a drop in the bucket as it will cost the Jamaica Amateur Athletic Association (JAAA) more than $6 million to run the three-day event.
"The budget is in fact over $5.2 million for the staging of the event, plus the purchasing of equipment that will provide on-time information," Forbes said yesterday.
The championships start at 5:00 p.m. and run until 8:00 p.m. each day. The organisers of the championships will have to fork out $1.5 million for the rental of the National Stadium facility and will only be allowed to use the grandstand.
In addition, the JAAA will have to pay lighting and security expenses. No wonder Forbes said the cost is "exorbitant".
A NATIONAL EVENT
"It is a national event. It is not necessarily a money-making venture," he said.
While admitting that the absence of Usain Bolt and Lorraine Fenton from the Championships would be a disappointment for spectators, Forbes is hoping that gate receipts will help offset a portion of the costs.
We are hoping to cover the cost of rental of the Stadium or double that," he said.
