Kwesi Mugisa, Staff Reporter

Over 50 scholarships will be available when several young Jamaicans between the ages of 17 and 23 showcase their abilities at the second annual Jonathan Hibbert Classic today at Munro College in St. Elizabeth, beginning at 9:30 a.m.

Coaches from the United States of America's University of Maine, Brescia University, Auburn University in Mont-gomery, and at least two Canadian universities, among others, will be hoping to scoop up promising local talent who will compete in the sports of basketball and football.

The majority of the students taking part in the event will be from the parish of St. Elizabeth. They include Munro, Newell, Lacovia, Black River and St. Elizabeth Technical (STETHS).

Additionally, a Mandeville All-Star team and a match between a St. Jago and St. Elizabeth All-Star team will be part of the football showcase.

Last year, which was the first time the event was hosted, a total of 40 scholarships were offered.

SATs

Unfortunately, though, due to a combination of poor results in the Scholarship Aptitude Test (SAT) exams and students' not taking these exams at all, only a total of 10 were taken up.

Basketball was a sport added to the itinerary this year as some of the coaches taking part in last year's event suggested that scholarships would be available for that discipline as well. This year Lucas Levesque, head women's basketball coach at the University of Maine - who will also be looking out on behalf of other universities - is seeking to offer between 12 and 15 scholarships.

The event caused the postponement of the Modern Rubber Stamp Jamaica Basketball Association's Women's League semi-finals, which will resume tomorrow, as several of those players are attempting to earn some of the scholarships on offer.

In semi-final one, the Metrobelles were set to take on the defending champion Waulgrovians Bullets, while the JABA Under-18 team will take on Braves Chiefs in the other semi-final. Today's festivities will last until 5:00 p.m.

The Jonathan Hibbert foundation was established in honour of Munrovian Jonathan Hibbert, who died in a 2002 car accident.