Sagicor leads charge for JTA National Primary champs

KINGSTON:

The Jamaica Teachers' Association (JTA)/Sagicor National Primary School Athletics Championships - to be held tomorrow and Saturday at the National Stadium - is expected to showcase talent in its purest and untapped form.

Children aged six-17 from various backgrounds have gathered every year to put their athletic talent on display for the Jamaican public to take notice of the nation's future ambassadors.

Approximately 75 per cent of Jamaica's athletes performing both on the national and international stage have been products of this championship over the last two and a half decades.

However, the road to success is not always easy, and many of the young athletes who participate in this meet are from low socio-economic backgrounds and generally lack equipment and monetary support.

Some of the schools often struggle to fund their teams, and, therefore, find it hard to compete at their highest capacity.

In light of this situation, title sponsors Sagicor Foundation, along with a team of other sponsors, have sought to assist the JTA with the development of talent and honing the skills of these young athletes through this very well-organised event. For this year's staging, the Sagicor Foundation is donating $6 million in an effort to not only "invest in the Jamaican youth, but also to advance the development of sport in Jamaica", shared Nadene Newsome, public relations and corporate social responsibility manager at Sagicor Group.

MORE SCHOLARSHIPS

Additionally, Sagicor has upheld its charitable tradition by offering two five-year scholarships at the secondary level to the Champion Boy and Champion Girl of the meet, signalling its dedication to the growth and development of academic and sporting excellence among the youth in Jamaica.

"We are honoured to be continuously supporting this athletics championship which churns out some of Jamaica's biggest and brightest stars," said Newsome.

"We realise the need to support these children who are from humble beginnings, so this year, we have increased our sponsorship from five to $6 million dollars," she noted.

The Jamaica Co-operative Credit Union and the National Baking Company also invested in excess of $1.4 million and $1 million, respectively, to the growth and development of these young and upcoming athletic stars.

The championships will start at 10 a.m. and run through to 5:30 p.m. There is no cost to enter tomorrow, but on Saturday, it will cost $200 for adults and $100 for children.