Gayle gives thumbs up to East Coast International Showcase

BALTIMORE, Maryland

LAST SATURDAY, several of the country’s top high school athletes displayed their talents in track and field events at the second staging of the Puma East Coast International Showcase in Baltimore, Maryland, where they engaged some of their peers from the United States in some big clashes.

Among the fans were President of the Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association (JAAA) Garth Gayle and President of the Inter-Secondary Schools Sports Association (ISSA) Keith Wellington. At the end of an exciting meet, both were very impressed.

The president of the JAAA had high praises for the organiser of the meet, Sanjay Ayre, a Jamaican who represented the country at three Olympic Games.

“The meet was well planned and organised, and it falls at an opportune time - just after the Penn Relays in Philadelphia - which makes it ideal for our young athletes in helping to continue their preparation for upcoming international events that the JAAA will be looking to them to represent the country,” said Gayle.

“The JAAA has given its full support to the man behind the meet, Sanjay Ayre, and his team. As a former national representative, he does understand the importance of the athletes being able to continue competing and the benefit they can get in their chosen area by gaining scholarships to universities in the United States or to go professional, and this really augers well for them going forward,” Gayle said.

According to Gayle, most of these athletes will be ready to carry the senior programme going forward.“Most of these athletes are future Olympians and World champions as the JAAA is looking forward to this crop of athletes to carry on the mantle beyond 2024, and this exposure fits into what we want going forward, and we like what we are seeing,” ,he said.

The meet, which saw some well-stacked events, especially in the sprints where the likes of Alana Reid and Rickiann Russell, among the females, and males Adrian Kerr, Jasuana Dennis, Delano Kennedy, and Brian Levell against some of the top juniors from the United States, who are all ranked highly in the top world list, and Gayle stated that he loved the friendly rivalry between both countries.

“The USA vs Jamaica rivalry is fantastic as both countries work hand in hand as two members of NACAC (North American, Central American and Caribbean Athletics Association) in ensuring we provide the pathway for our junior athletes to become elite athletes .These athletes know each other as they correspond on social media, and bonding early will do a lot for the future. We now see several athletes going through some degree of stress, and this kind of friendly rivalry can help in relieving this stress,” Gayle added.

In closing, he emphasised that his organisation had no regrets in sanctioning the meet. “We see where some of the teams have teachers in their groups as managers working with the athletes with their academics, and this is marvellous, and this event will be a staple on the JAAA calendar for the future,” he said.