TSSS well on the way to 2013 Penn Relays

Following on their impressive showing in the 2011 and 2012 Penn Relays, Coach Godfrey ‘Fuzzy’ Harry has already declared that the Thomas Saunders Secondary School will be going to the event again in 2013.{{more}}

Speaking at a media briefing on Thursday, May 3, Harry said that he has already received five pledges of support from people living in the United States to assist the group with their travel expenses.

He added that other potential sponsors have also asked that he keep in touch to see what transpires between December this year and April 2013.

“We can say that we are well on our way with the pledge,” Harry said.

He added that this will reduce the amount of assistance required from local sponsors, one such being the National Lotteries Authority who he said assisted the team for the two years that the school has taken part in the prestigious event.

The school has started preparing for the event, Harry said, having already named a 22-member training squad.

Harry said that a projected estimate of the cost has already been done and will soon be submitted to the Minister of Sport Cecil McKie.

“We are well on the way, we are ready, we are prepared,” he said.

But the minister said that the school’s participation was not automatic and that the youngsters would have to ensure that they were within the qualifying times to proceed to the event.

“That will allow them to participate in these games because it is not just a case of doing any time and getting in. The administration at the school is aware of that,” McKie said.

He spoke of a session held last year where athletes from other schools were told what the requirements were in order for them to get into the Penn Relays.

“But none of the other schools took up the challenge to raise the necessary funds or to meet the required times to get to the Penn Relays,” the minister said.

“I hope that from now on we would be able to share the experience with other schools again because I looked at their performances at the inter-school games and there are a number of schools that will be able to come up with a team to represent,” he said.

However the enthusiasm must come from the schools themselves McKie said.

“Thomas Saunders have committed and seeing that they have prepared a proposal and have a training regime means that they will be going to the Penn Relays in 2013 because their athletes have committed themselves to the task,” McKie contended. (DD)