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PCJ powers JIIM with $12 million sponsorship

Published:Tuesday | May 15, 2018 | 12:00 AM
Contributed
Members of the Jamaica International Invitational Meet organising committee, Ian Forbes, (left) Donald Quarrie, (second left) meet director and Athlete Liaison, Dr. Warren Blake, (centre) chairman and Ludlow Watts, (right) vice chairman, inspect the $12 million sponsorship cheque which was handed over yesterday by Camille Taylor (second right), manager, corporate affairs and communications at the Petroleum Corporation of Jamaica for the staging of the meet set for May 19 at the National Stadium.

KINGSTON:

The Petroleum Corporation of Jamaica (PCJ) is continuing its support for local athletics with a $12-million sponsorship package for the Jamaica International Invitational Meet (JIIM) which is scheduled for Saturday, May 19 at the National Stadium.

The allocation extends the PCJ's support for the well-regarded event to a fifth consecutive year. The competition, which is an IAAF Challenge Meet, serves as a critical building block for the nation's athletes, especially those who are based on home soil. JIIM also brings international stars to Jamaica, giving local athletes the chance to experience elite competition without having to travel overseas.

 

Stellar line-up

 

The line-up for this year's meet includes double Olympic sprint champion, Jamaican Elaine Thompson; Nigeria's Blessing Okagbare; 2008 Olympic 400m champion LaShawn Merritt of the United States; Jamaican hurdles specialist Jaheel Hyde and Jamaica's 200m - 400m specialist Shericka Jackson.

Camille Taylor, the PCJ's manager, corporate affairs and communications, said: "The PCJ's past sponsorship of the JIIM covered years like 2015 when the IAAF World Championships was held in Beijing, China, and 2016 when the Olympics were in Rio de Janeiro; and we would like to think we contributed in some way to Jamaica's stellar performances at these international meets because the Invitational serves as a preparatory event for major championships.

"Jamaica has had a solid run on the world stage, and if we are going to maintain our position at the top, athletics will need continued support at all levels," she added.