Nkrumie leads Champs winners against T&T

SIXTEEN ATHLETES from defending ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys and Girls’ Athletics Championships (Champs) teams, Kingston College (KC) and Edwin Allen High School, left the island for Trinidad and Tobago on Tuesday to compete in today’s Trinidad and Tobago Secondary School Relays at the Hasley Crawford National Stadium

The teams will compete in the 4x100 and 4x400-metre relays. KC will be led by World Under-20 100-metre silver medallist and national junior record holder Bouwahjgie Nkrumie, who, over the weekend, opened up his season at the Youngster Goldsmith Classics at the National Stadium with a nippy 10.30-second meet record.

Also included in the KC team are Emnanuel Rwotomiya, who was second on Saturday in 10.57; quarter-miler, Marcinho Rose Yourie Lawrence Clarke, and Nicholas Francis.

Trinidad and Tobago’s Natasha Fox, who was fourth in the high school girls’ open 400 metres Hurdles at Champs last year, and who also ended fourth in the event at last Saturday’s Youngster Goldsmith Classics, will spearhead the Edwin Allen team along with the likes of Maria Crosfield, Trezaquet Forbes, Ingrid Taylor, and Kellyann Carr.

The trip is being sponsored by the Government of Jamaica and follows a recent visit from a delegation from the twin-island republic, led by their sports minister, Shamfa Cudjoe.

The delegation visited several schools and institutions, including the Jamaica Anti-Doping Commission, and participated in discussions with Jamaica’s sports minister, Olivia Grange.

The Trinidadians are conducting research on the creation of a high-school programme similar to Champs.

President of the Inter-Secondary Schools Sports Association (ISSA) Keith Wellington is part of the delegation and spoke highly of the initiative.

“This is indeed a very good move as it helps to form great partnerships with our Caribbean neighbours, and this is indeed positive for the youngsters. It is also great to know that because of our success in the sport, our Caribbean neigbours are willing to learn and to adapt some of our policies, and it is indeed good for the development of the sport in the region,” he said

The delegation will return on Friday.