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$1m prize to top Champs schools

Published:Thursday | March 16, 2017 | 12:00 AMDania Bogle
Ian Allen
Andrea Coy (left), chief executive officer, Grace Foods Jamaica, presents the sponsorship cheque to Dr Walton Small (right), president of ISSA, and Colleen Montague (centre), chairman of the Boys and Girls' Championships committee, during the official launch of the 2017 championships at the Spanish Court Hotel in New Kingston yesterday.

It won't be only a trophy at stake but $1,000,000 prize for the winning schools at this year's Inter-secondary Schools Sports Association (ISSA)-GraceKennedy Boys & Girls' Athletic Championships scheduled for Tuesday, March 28 to Saturday, April 1.

ISSA president Dr Walton Small made the announcement at yesterday's event launch at the Spanish Court Hotel in Kingston.

"We felt that for all sports at ISSA we must give a prize money that can reflect to some extent to recoup the cost of some of the things that they do," said Dr Small.

The runners-up will receive $700,000 with $500,000 to third place. The remaining schools will split $7,000,000.

 

PRIZE MONEY

 

"So all schools will be getting prize money different from the reflows and support to go to Penn Relays and so on," Dr Small added.

Meanwhile, Champs committee chairman and Wolmer's High school for Girls principal, Colleen Montague, announced that due to inflation among other things, ISSA had been "forced" to increase ticket prices for the event by five per cent.

Tickets will go on sale on the opening day of the event with the ticket office being open at 7 a.m. each day.

Saturday grandstand tickets will cost $5000, with $3,500 for Friday. Tuesday's opening day will be free. Children will pay $100 for Wednesday and Thursday, while adults will pay $500. Students in uniform will pay $350 on Friday.

Event sponsors GraceKennedy said they had committed $110 million towards the event which will feature 114 girls' schools and 114 boys' schools.

Four Champs Ambassadors will be honoured this year including former athletes Everad Samuels and Juliet Campbell of St Andrew Technical and St Jago High school, respectively; coach Claude Grant of Herbert Technical High School and Champs official Georgia Francis.