Intercollegiate sports will take on a new look for the 2020-21 season after the final stages of the 2019-20 sporting year was decimated by COVID-19.

A virtual intercollegiate meeting was held last Friday to discuss the way forward, and the executive committee suggested incorporating some new non-contact sports, including cross country running, cycling, gladiator games (an obstacle challenge) and esports – online gaming into the calendar.

In addition, several sports will move between semesters. The intercol season usually gets under way in October with the playing of netball and football competitions, but the season will now begin one month later in November, with football and the playing of Fast 5 netball instead. Also Semester Two sports, which included volleyball and badminton, will also be starting in November. Men’s and women’s basketball has now been switched to Semester Two to join track and field, cricket, rugby 13s and hockey.

Dorothy Hudson-Gayle, president of intercol and head of the Athletics Department and Training at UWI, Mona, said the meeting supported the new changes and additions, and the executive committee will prepare a calendar of events to be handed out by the start of the next academic year.

“This calendar will also highlight all track meets to be hosted by intercol or its member institutions that has a definite collegiate section,” stated Hudson-Gayle.

At the meeting, a decision was taken to promote Stacy Ann Jack, sports director of Caribbean Maritime University, to the executive committee as the recording secretary to facilitate better distribution of information to the respective institutions. Intercol will also host a virtual awards ceremony to recognise champions from the 2017-18, 2018-2019 and Semester One of 2019-2020 on June 26.