Elton Tucker, Assistant Sport EditorDELAYS in refurbishing work at the National Stadium have forced the Inter-Secondary Schools Sports Association (ISSA) to postpone the March 19-23 Boys and Girls Athletics Championships.
A source close to ISSA said yesterday the National Stadium which will host the July 16-21 IAAF/Coca-Cola World Junior Championships in Athletics will not be ready for the mid-March meet.
"ISSA and the Kingston 2002 organisers have been meeting for the past couple of weeks and the main problem is a new IAAF ruling which came into effect on January 1. It states that the inner field (the football field in the case of the National Stadium) must be the same level as the track. There should also be an apron around lane eight. Based on these new specifications the Stadium will not be ready," the source said.
According to the ISSA source the Urban Development Corporation (UDC), the agency responsible for refurbishing the Stadium, had sought to get some softening of this ruling but the IAAF has reportedly stuck to its guns.
An executive meeting of ISSA next Thursday is expected to make a final decision on the dates for this year's Boys and Girls Championships.
"This will be based on final word from UDC," the ISSA source said. The likely dates are April 16-20.
The annual Penn Relays in Philadelphia, April 25-27 and 'A' Level examinations which begin on May 20 are two events which could weigh heavily on any decision ISSA's executive takes. Some principals are reportedly wary of allowing the meet to get too close to the time for examinations.
Boys and Girls Championships has been earmarked to test systems which should be in place for the July 16-21 world junior meet. Security, gate control and accreditation are three areas which will be under the control of Kingston 2002, the Local Organising Committee (LOC) of the world junior meet.
Meanwhile some sporting events originally set for the National Stadium have already been shifted to G.C. Foster College in Spanish Town. Carifta Trials set for March 2 and the March 4-5 Eastern Championships will be held at the Spanish Town-based physical education college which is equipped with an all-weather Mondo track.
