Athletes competing in the 100m and sprint relays at the 2022 ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys and Girls Athletics Championships next month, will have extra incentive to win after the title sponsor’s CEO announced on Monday, that there will be a financial benefit for their respective victories.
Speaking at the launch of the championships at the National Stadium in Kingston, Don Wehby, GraceKennedy's CEO, announced the sweetener before an audience across multiple platforms.
“The winner of each class of the 100m finals – seven winners in all - will receive an educational grant valued at J$100,000 (approximately US$600). We will also award each winners’ school a J$100,000 grant to invest in a school upliftment project, which is to be chosen by their Champs team. Similarly, the winning teams for the 4x100m – seven classes total - and their school will also receive a J$100,000 grant,” the CEO said to applause.
The 111th staging of the championships will be held from April 5-9 and will see 69 Boys’ teams and 68 Girls’ teams from across the island participating in 88 events over the five days.
The finals will be spread across four days as the Inter-Secondary-School Sports Association (ISSA) moves to make all the days of the championships memorable. The opening day, April 5, will be all preliminary rounds of competition.
On Wednesday, April 6, there will be 17 finals including the blue-ribbon 100m finals for boys and girls. ISSA says the move to have the 100m finals on the second day of the championships is in keeping with international trends where the 100m is contested early in the competition.
On Thursday, April 7, fans will get to enjoy 13 finals including the 400m for boys and girls, while on Friday, April 8, 13 more finals involving field events and the 400m hurdles will unfold.
On the final day of the competition, April 9, the 43 finals will include battles in the 200m, 4x100m and 4x400m relays.
In 2022, GK’s sponsorship of Boys’ and Girls’ Champs, totals over J$88 million.
“We see this as a major investment in nation-building which underlies GK’s long-term commitment to Jamaica. It’s an investment in our youth, our schools, sports development, and our country,” Wehby said.