Jamaica’s Inter-Secondary School Sports Association (ISSA) has been given the green light to stage the GraceKennedy Boys and Girls Championships at the National Stadium in Kingston from May 11-15.

 However, the championships will go ahead without spectators because of the ongoing pandemic that caused the 111-year-old championships to be cancelled in 2020.

Earlier this afternoon, ISSA President Keith Wellington confirmed to Sportsmax.TV that Champs would be held. When asked, Wellington’s simply said, “Yes.”

There was growing uncertainty about whether the championships were going to be cancelled for a second year running as the government agencies tasked with containing the spread of the Covid-19 virus were concerned over whether there would be strict adherence to safety protocols.

The uncertainty was further heightened when several other meets including the Central and Eastern Championships scheduled for between April 26 and 30, were cancelled following a lockdown imposed that saw the last track meet being held on March 20.

Since last week stakeholders had been meeting to discuss the protocols hoping to agree to the conditions that would make Champs possible this year.

The championships will be key to getting some of Jamaica's junior athletes the competition they need to prepare for the Carifta Games and the World U20 Championships to held in Bermuda and Kenya, respectively. The news also coincides with the return of the Velocity Fest track meet this weekend.