Calabar threatens to withdraw from Champs

 

Many-time winner Calabar High school is threatening to withdraw from the remainder of the ISSA GraceKennedy Boys' and Girls' Championships unless a raft of demands are met by the meet director and event organisers, ISSA, to remedy the distress caused to sprinter Jamal Stephenson, who was disenfranchised in the class one Boys 100m metre on Wednesday.

 

This according to a 5-page letter under the signature of the school's Principal Sian Wilson, which was written to ISSA President Keith Wellington and copied to World Athletics, the Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association, meet director Anthony Davis, Sponsor of the meet Grace Kennedy Limited and Calabar's Head coach 

Corey Bennett.

 

A copy of the letter, which TVJ Sports Obtained, requested that five points be addressed by ISSA to immediately rectify the situation which Calabar says have caused distress to the athlete, the school, and all parties involved.

 

It sets out the following demands:

 

1. Reinstatement of Jamal Stephenson to the Class 1 Boys' 100- metre final in the position that his Semi-Final time would have placed him had he ran the finals. His time of 10.34 would have placed him in 5th position and the team awarded four (4) points for such a placement.

 

2. A formal thorough and impartial investigation into the actions of the meet officials and the meet director who failed to suspend the race pending the outcome of the appeal.

 

3. A copy of the report that was sent to World Athletics in relation to this incident and the subsequent response.

 

4. A copy of the complete response from World Athletics in relation to the report received from the Meet Director.

 

5. A Letter of Apology from the meet organizers for the confusion and distress caused to our athlete, our school, and all parties involved.