Ministry of Information, Culture, Youth & Sports

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Minister of Information, Culture, Youth and Sports, Hon. Olivia Grange

The Ministry of Information, Culture, Youth and Sports (MICYS) has come to the assistance of the Jamaica Teachers' Association (JTA) in reducing the cost to the Association of the staging of the 2008 Jamaica Teachers' Association National Primary, All Age and Junior High Schools Athletic Championships.

A delegation from the Meet's organizing committee called on Minister Olivia "Babsy" Grange today (9th May) to discuss with her what financial help they could get from MICYS towards putting on the Meet, which takes place at the National Stadium next week Friday and Saturday, May 16 and 17.

Minister Grange was able to get in cash and kind more than one-million dollars to assist the JTA.

Contributions came from Independence Park Limited (IPL), the Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC) and the Institute of Sports (INSPORTS).

Miss Grange said MICYS was obliged to find ways to help the JTA stage the 24th National Primary, All Age and Junior High School Championships. "How could we not help when these Championships have served over the years as a cradle for the development of several of our top athletes, many of whom went on to become Olympians?" she asked.

In underscoring the value of the Meet which started 24 years ago, the meeting recalled that one young fellow who benefited from the early exposure and who could now be described as star athlete, ran barefooted and after the rounds, ended with blisters and bruises on his feet. "This Meet should get all the support that is required," Miss Grange emphasized.

In praising the JTA for persisting despite the difficulty in obtaining sponsorship, the Minister invited them to make a submission on sports policy and programmes to MICYS. "We can benefit from the JTA's input as we put together the National Policy on Sports."

"Among other things, we expect from the Policy is coordination of all sporting bodies and activities
In Jamaica under the umbrella of MICYS," Miss Grange said.

In expressing their thanks to the Minister for her help, the JTA group said they knew that they would not have gone away from MICYS "empty-handed". They assured the Minister that they were committed to continuing with the Meet but that with each succeeding year it became more expensive to stage, moving from six-point-four million ($6.4m) last year to nine-million ($9m) dollar this year.

This year's National Primary, All Age and Junior High School Championships will be launched at a press conference next week Tuesday, May 13 and will have some 1,300 athletes participating. There will be 52 finals.

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