Gayle looking to bring back int’l calibre meet
Published:Tuesday | January 17, 2023 | 1:12 AMDaniel Wheeler/Staff Reporter -
A return of an international calibre event on par with the Jamaica International Invitational could be on the cards for this year, according to Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association (JAAA) president Garth Gayle
Gayle said that plans are ongoing for the staging of an international meet similar to the Invitational which is normally slated for May. Gayle said that they are looking to have it during that period. The Jamaica International Invitational has not been held since 2019 as lack of funding caused the event to be cancelled that year and the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 resulted in those plans being abandoned. The event has not been held since.
While not being specific about the details, Gayle said that they are earmarking a return to hosting an international-level meet on the circuit for this year.
“There will be an international meet in that slot. Negotiations are in high gear. I don’t want to pre-empt what I know is happening on the ground but I’m confident and you can rest assured that we will have the return of an international meet in that time frame,” Gayle told The Gleaner.
The plans that are being crafted for the meet come with the full backing of the association, according to Gayle, with the importance of delivering high-level competition for their athletes at home in order to be prepared to meet the standards required for World Championship qualification.
“I have to respect the persons who are hard at work but I can say it is with the JAAA’s full support. We see the need for our athletes to be able to perform at home. And we also know many of our athletes within the region need competition here rather than the long travel,” Gayle explained. “So when we do make that lift into Europe, we want to make sure that they have been so prepared and there is no question in regard to the standards that would have been necessary for them to go now and perform.”
With the the World Championship and Paris Olympic qualifying standards becoming tougher, Gayle said that they are looking to increase the number of events hosted by 30 per cent this year to give the athletes enough opportunities to qualify and to adequately prepare.
“We know we will surpass the number of those high-quality meets that we had last year,” Gayle said. “By so doing, we will have more events for our elite athletes and there will be the opportunity for them to ensure by the time they get into our National Championships, that we will continue to have the strong representation that we have been grown accustomed to for not only Budapest but Paris as well.”