Anthony Foster, Freelance Writer
THE ORGANISING committee for the 30th staging of the Gibson Relays has reassured athletes and spectators that the meet will be free of danger.
Chairman of the organising committee, Teddy McCook, in addressing yesterday's sponsors' luncheon at the Courtleigh Hotel, said that Gibson Relays will be the "sole tenants of Independence Park on February 25."
McCook's statement comes in the wake of last Sunday's announcement by Prime Minister P.J. Patterson that the People's National Party (PNP) delegates conference to elect a new president of the party will be held at the National Arena on the same date as the Gibson Relays. The National Stadium and Arena had been booked for the meet before the Prime Minister's announcement.
CAUSE FOR CONCERN
"There was a bit of concern ... People (athletes, officials) called to say that they were not coming, or we are on hold," McCook said.
Calls, he said, came from as far as Puerto Rico.
McCook said they met with officials from the People's National Party (PNP) on Wednesday and plans are now finalised for the meet at the National Stadium.
"We had good discussions and the meeting broke with them saying 'yes, we are going to pursue other alternatives'.
"In all of these discussions, never for a moment we got the impression that representatives of the PNP were trying to force an issue.
"They were very concerned. They came with some very positive alternative suggestions for accommodation, the registration, because that's what we use the Arena for.
"Our feeling was the mere presence, regardless of what you did ... a guy can say he is coming to the track meet and then skips over to the Arena, so the whole idea of having the parking lot free for the meet really doesn't exit.
Meanwhile, McCook said athletes from overseas have been invited to compete at this year's event.
INVITATIONS
"We have sent invitations as far as Africa ... however, nearer to home, we have invited Barbados, Bahamas, Trinidad, Dominica, Caymans Islands, Turks & Caicos Islands and all of those have indicated an interest," he said.
He said the president of the Trinidad & Tobago Athletics Federation will be heading off to United States today to meet with his athletes to finalise their team to attend.
There will be the usual eight Championship Events - High School boys & girls 4x100m Class One sponsored by Puma & JPS respectively; Institution Men's 4x100m and 4x400m (Security Administrators Ltd. & Esso respectively); High School boys and girls 4x800m Open (Juciful & RBTT respectively); High School boys' and girls' 4x400m Open (Interactive Voice Solutions & Guardian Life Insurance).
The individual events to be contested are 100m, 400m 1500m, 400m hurdles, 100m hurdles and 110m hurdles for men and women. There will also be the long and high jumps, also for men and women.
Over 3000 athletes, including world 100m record holder Asafa Powell, are expected to compete at the day's festival.
