A good booster for Schools’ Athletics

The decision by the sponsors of the inaugural Bickles All Leeward Schools’ Relay Classics to provide a small monetary award to the first, second and third place finishers in each event, has taken the sport to another level.

Hosted by the Barrouallie Secondary School, the Relay Classics was held last Sunday afternoon into evening at the Victoria Park, attracting a fair size attendance of patrons as well as schools’ participation.

Hence, it fitted in snugly into the emerging trend of evening sports and on a Sunday, when many parents and the general public can attend.

The event thus, saw the Layou Government, Chateaubelair Methodist, Barrouallie Government, Barrouallie

Anglican, Clare Valley Government and the Questelles Government schools seeking honours in the primary schools division; whilst, the host school- Barrouallie, as well as Troumaca Ontario, Buccament Bay, Petit Bordel and Bethel High, competed for supremacy in the secondary schools segment.

The leeward institutions were joined by guest participators, the Kingstown Preparatory, St Martin’s Secondary

and Georgetown Secondary schools, in adding flair, flavour and fun to the maiden undertaking.

An appendage to the already established staple, the All Leewards Championships that began in 2017 through the instrumentality of the Troumaca Secondary School, was boosted by last Sunday’s All Leewards Relay Classics, and commendations are in order for the organizational expertise of the Barrouallie Secondary School personnel.

Apart from breaking new ground in local Athletics in terms of incentising the schools, the Classics augurs well for the development of the sport and the interest among the young student- athletes.

Athletes from the participating schools on the Leeward side, were given the logistical privilege of being transported to and from the venue.

Additionally, the athletes were provided with food, thus easing some of the financial burden of the respective educational institutions.

Moreso, the Relay Classics offered schools the insight of their state of readiness for the marquee events- the Inter Primary Schools’ Athletics Championships (IPSAC), as well as the Inter- Secondary Schools’ Athletics

Championships (ISSAC).

Coupled with the exposure and practice, the financial rewards, albeit small, add to the schools’ coffers, and certainly boost participation.

The task is for a replication of such an event for schools on the Windward side of the island and possibly the Kingstown and Grenadines combined, should any of the institutions choose to be willing like the Troumaca Ontario and Barrouallie Secondary.

Such area/ zone meets can only augur well for the schools, as well as the overall development and growth of Athletics here in St Vincent and the Grenadines.

This, as it is widely documented and proven that the more track athletes compete, the more they are likely to improve all-round.

Given the successes of last Sunday’s event at the Victoria Park, one can only envisage the Relay Classics growing exponentially in participation, execution and attendance.

Seeing around the corner in sight is a projected increase in funding from the title sponsors, whilst other corporate entities will be on board lending financial support to individual schools.

The Barrouallie Secondary School is on to a good thing, and bettering each year’s efforts will naturally and instinctively follow.

Congratulations to the organisers for their vision and tenacity; the principals and head teachers for their buy-in to the idea, and to Bickles for putting in their much-needed financial ingredients.