Tough start for Wellington - ISSA boss weighs in on first-year challenges
Published:Tuesday | May 12, 2020 | 12:17 AMRaymond Graham/Gleaner Writer
AFTER taking over from Dr Walton Small as president of the Inter-Secondary Schools Sports Association (ISSA) last September, Keith Wellington has had a tough few months in his new role.
With the threat and subsequent spread of the coronavirus disease in Jamaica having a major impact on the sporting world and the wider society, Wellington and his ISSA administration have had to deal with several major setbacks such as the cancellation of the popular ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys and Girls’ Athletics Championships.
In fact, only football, basketball, and netball competitions were completed due to COVID-19.
“I am disappointed that we did not have a full year of activities,” Wellington told The Gleaner. “However, based on the circumstances, we accept that this is something that we have no control over.”
PROACTIVE APPROACH
With schools physically reopening no sooner than September this year, Wellington admitted that while things are somewhat in ‘wait-and-see’ mode, they are looking at different possibilities and trying to be proactive in their approach.
“We believe it is a bit early to be sure how we will function when school reopens. Much of what will happen will be dependent on how we are managing the spread and treatment of COVID-19 as well as government policies. As a result, we are looking internally at the possible scenarios and trying to look at what our options would be under different situations,” Wellington said. “We will have to look at how we structure our calendar for the year and possibly the format of our various competitions based on time available.
“In the present situation, we have not yet decided how we will execute any of our competitions, but we will be meeting with our various stakeholders and determine the best course of action available. Any decision we make will take into consideration the health and safety of students to include their proper preparation as well as the academic responsibilities,” said Wellington, who is also the principal at St Elizabeth Technical.