Universiade to push 2013 Intercol programme

André Lowe, Senior Staff Reporter

With last year's impressive nine-medal haul at the World University Games in China still fresh on the mind, Rashid Hall, chairman of track and field for the Jamaica Inter-Collegiate Sports Association (Intercol), is already looking at eclipsing that feat at the 2013 edition in Kazan, Russia.

The championship, now over seven months away, with a July 6-18 schedule is the marquee event on a packed Intercol calendar for the second semester; Intercol's 'Golden Egg' of sorts - a calling card, as they look to move the profile of the often-ignored organisation.

Female basketball, rugby, volleyball and what is expected to be an exciting Twenty20 cricket competition boasting the island's cache of talented tertiary-level cricketers will all be contested over the coming months, but it's hard to argue against the pull of the World University Games and the overall influence of track and field on Jamaica's collegiate sporting system.

Two of the world's most successful track clubs are based on Jamaican campuses with the University of Technology hosting the MVP Track Club and their neighbours at the University of West Indies (UWI), the Racers Track Club.

Of particular importance

It's this influence that convinces Hall - who is also the sports coordinator at UWI, that next year's 'Universiade' will hold particular importance for tertiary track and field in Jamaica and, by extension, university sports on the island in general.

"It is very important to the continued development of tertiary track and field in Jamaica," Hall told The Gleaner. "The year 2011 was a break-out year in terms of public awareness around our participation at the World University Games.

"We took 12 athletes and we were able to receive nine medals; six gold, two silver and one bronze and we expect to do even better this year," Hall continued. "It's also very important to us as it will help us to improve our profile, which was a major focus coming out of our last AGM."

"With track and field being the major sport for us, we want to use that as the flagship and carry other sport," he explained.

Like most local sporting bodies, Intercol is often challenged to fund its operation, and as Hall explained, track and field is the only sport that brings in actual sponsorship dollars into the organisation.

Intercol knows role

Perhaps extra pressure on the bunch of Jamaican students that will be representing the island in a few months, but one thing is certain, Intercol knows its role.

"Intercol is the bridge between high school sports and senior sports. The results of our track and field programme have benefitted a lot from the collegiate system with our athletes remaining locally and with clubs that are on campuses. Many of them are students and what Intercol does is provide that avenue for development after high school," Hall reasoned. "The development of a strong intercollegiate system can move forward a lot of sports that are currently struggling."