Jamalco track meet waives registration fees for western schools

The 2026 staging of the JAAA/Puma/Jamalco track and field meet will have special significance, as meet director Dennis May confirmed they have waived the registration fees for schools severely impacted by Hurricane Melissa.

May confirmed schools from western parishes, namely, Westmoreland, Hanover, St James, Trelawny, and St Elizabeth, will have their entry fees waived, as well as receive up to 15 meals for their participating athletes.

May said the gesture was done as a way to help the teams compete while they recover from the impact of Hurricane Melissa.

“It is with a bit of grace because of the damage done to the western schools, so we’re just following suit in that as to help them,” May told The Gleaner.

“We have waived the fees, as you know it can be expensive. So we will provide up to 15 meals for how many athletes they register,” he continued.

“Because if you take 15 meals, that’s $15,000, and if you waive the fees, that’s $10,000; that’s a savings of $25,000. That is reasonable, so all they would have to worry about is the transportation, especially because of smaller schools.”

May said the decision was made with the endorsement of the sport’s governing body, Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association (JAAA).

When he and fellow meet director Ewan Scott presented the idea to the JAAA, it was quickly approved.

“It’s just to help them get back on the feet, and it’s fully endorsed and supported by the JAAA because this is a JAAA meet,” he explained.

“When Scott and myself put forward the suggestion to the JAAA hierarchy, they fully endorsed it immediately, in their efforts to get everybody back on board.”

He continued, “The whole thing is about development. We have something here for everyone to participate, and we try to have a good day.

“We are here to serve and we like to make it like a family meet. That is how we run it, because track and field is about community and family.”

The track meet will see athletes compete on the track in the 100m, 200m, 400m, 800m, 1500m, 3000m, and 500m.

There will also be relay events such as the 4x100m, 4x400m mixed, 4x800m and the sprint medley.

Patrons will also be entertained by the field events, with the long jump and shot put on display.

May explained that there will be a particular focus on the middle-distance events, with trophies and cash prizes awarded in the 800m events.

“One of the highlights of the meet is that we are trying to build the distance running, so we have special trophies for it,” he explained.

“One of them is the Neville Myton/Seymour Newman trophy for the 800 male, and the Inez Turner trophy for the 800m female, and there are cash prizes for that as well.”

The meet is set for February 7, and will run from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

gregory.bryce@gleanerjm.com