THE 2006 VMBS/ISSA Boys and Girls Athletics Championships will run under stricter security measures at the National Stadium complex.
The championships are set for March 29 to April 1, and it was announced yesterday at a press briefing held at the Hilton Kingston hotel by Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Linval Bailey that security will take charge of the entire complex 24 hours before the event.
Bailey said everyone entering the complex will be searched. He also said there will be four ejection teams.
"The ejection teams will be operating inside the stadium and outside. Their task will be to eject from the venue, people who are behaving disorderly," Bailey said.
All vehicles entering the complex will also be searched.
These new measures are in collaboration with the Local Organising Committee of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2007.
Dave Myrie, chairman of the VMBS/ISSA Boys and Girls Champs committee, said he hoped the new measures will continue for years to come, although they were costly.
"Security is going to run us roughly in the region of $2.5 million to $3 million, compared to last year which was somewhere in the region of $1.5 million," Myrie said.
VENDING
ISSA's president, Clement Radcliff, said the association would also be focusing on vending inside the stadium as, over the years, persons got dehydrated.
He said bottled water would be allowed in this year. However, he warned that if persons used the bottles other than to drink from them, they would be banned again.
Howard Aris, president of the Jamaica Amateur Athletics Association and chairman of the Sports Development Foundation, was on hand to give the event his blessing.
President and CEO at VMBS, Richard Powell, said his company was once again pleased to be associated with champs and he looked to continue a long relationship.
More than 2,400 athletes from 98 boys and 93 girls schools are down to participate at this year's event.
