COCAA planning for Western Champs
Published:Friday | February 19, 2021 | 12:20 AMKavarly Arnold/Gleaner Writer
Western Bureau:
County of Cornwall Athletic Association (COCAA) President Stephen Smith is optimistic about staging the Western Championships despite the recent rise in COVID-19 cases islandwide.
Smith said that while COCAA has not decided on a date, it is working with the Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association to make the meet a reality as soon as government approval is granted.
“The intention is to have a championships with a development meet running concurrently,” Smith said. “The format will be like the Digicel Grand Prix. We will do all the events just the same.
“It will be the top two from each region. So what we are trying to do is create an avenue for other athletes to qualify. We will have ‘A’ races for the championships, and ‘B’ race for the development meet. Points will only be garnered from the ‘A’ races.”
Rusea’s High School coach, Roderick Miles, said they are not preparing to defend any titles as they are just eager for any form of competition.
“If there is a Western Champs, of course, we will go because it’s a track meet for everyone to run and qualify,” he said. “Based on the COVID situation, Classes Three and Four are not in preparation. Right now, it’s just the ones who are leaving for college, and those we think have the standard to make a world junior team.”
Miles says that a meet is still possible as he believes evidence shows that events can take place without spreading COVID-19.
“Based upon the evidence, there were several track meets last year with the Velocity Fest and high school meets,” he said. “There was no evidence of a spread, so if there is no evidence, I don’t see what’s the problem. So basically, if the Government want to keep it, of course, they can.
“Personally, I think the Government should allow track meets. Based on the amount of persons in training, it will not be the same championships as years gone by. The numbers have drastically reduced, and most teams not training, so it will be a handful of athletes. Also, a lot of poor people are relying on it to go to colleges as well as it’s a world junior year, and the rest of the world is preparing.”