MORE than 2000 athletes, 970 girls and 1193 boys, will compete at the April 16-20 VMBS/ISSA Boys and Girls Athletics Championships.
Two new schools, Gaynstead High and Priory High, will send athletes to the championships which will be held at two venues G.C. Foster College in St Catherine and Sabina Park.
Giving details on the championships at yesterday's official launching held at the Alhambra Inn, chairman of the organising committee Brandford Gayle said the revised schedule has competition beginning at 8 a.m. on the first two days at G.C. Foster College with the last event set for 5.20 p.m.
On the final three days at Sabina Park, the action will get underway at 9 a.m. and runs through to 5.20 p.m. on Thursday and 5 p.m. on the final two days.
There will be no break for lunch. ISSA will provide a limited shuttle service from Kingston to G.C. Foster from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. on the first two days. He appealed to schools with own transportation to assist with getting athletes to the venues.
Competition at Sabina Park will take place on a 300-metre track. Lanes will be marked in the coming week following this weekend's Busta Shield final at the island's main international cricket venue.
The 400m hurdles finals will be run on the all-weather 400m Mondo track at G.C. Foster College. All other track finals will take place on grass at Sabina Park with 42 on the final day.
Preparations are being made to house 10,000 paying spectators at Sabina Park. These spectators will sit in the George Headley Stand, the eastern bleachers and the Mound.
Athletes and coaches will be accommodated in the Air Jamaica Stand while VIP's and the press will be seated in the usual Press Box.
Prices for George Headley stand will be $100 on Thursday, $400 Friday and $800 on Saturday. In the Eastern Stand, there will be free entrance on Thursday, $100 Friday and $200 on Saturday. Students in uniform or with ID's will pay half the adult fee.
Guest speaker at yesterday's launch was former Jamaica Amateur Athletics Association president Adrian Wallace. Wallace, vice-chairman of Kingston 2002, the local organising committee for this year's World Junior Championships, said he had been informed by the engineers that the new Mondo track will be in place by the end of May.
"The material for the track is in the island and an asphalt base is being prepared for laying the track," Wallace said.
The former JAAA boss said the upgraded National Stadium should be ready by the third week of June to host the National Junior and Senior Championships which will be used as a dry run for the July 16-21 World Junior Champion-ships.
"The upgraded Stadium will have proper press, drug testing and medical areas, expanded bathrooms, proper offices and VIP lounges," Wallace said. He added that a 40 square foot video screen will be rented for the championships from a company in France.
Also speaking at the press launch were Karl P. Wright president and CEO of main sponsors VMBS and Pepsi Cola marketing manager Patrick Gillings. Pepsi will be the official drink at the championships.
