Western Relays organiser wants to return to Montego Bay

Western Bureau:

Ray Harvey, meet organiser for the Western Relays, is hoping the meet can return home to Montego Bay for the 2023 staging. The meet will take place at G. C. Foster College in St Catherine for the third time today.

It was moved from western Jamaica in 2018, as the running track at Montego Bay Sports Complex is not in a suitable condition to host track meets. The meet was cancelled last year because of logistic issues and the coronavirus pandemic.

“We have been dreaming for years of going back home. Being away for four years now from Montego Bay is beginning to get uncomfortable. Our mission is to develop track and field in the west. It is very difficult to make the contribution that we would like to if we don’t have a track in the region,” Harvey said.

WORK TO BE DONE

The synthetic track, which has been out of use since 2018, was scheduled to be refurbished within the 2021/22 financial year. However, no work has commenced on the only all-weather running track outside of the Corporate Area and St Catherine.

Denzil Wilks, general manager of the Sports Development Foundation (SDF), said, while he is only a part of the process and not in a position to speak with any authority, he can assure that the stadium is not forgotten as the process is still ongoing.

“To see everybody heading to the east for the staging of a western event is a bit incongruous, if we should be honest. I went by the track a few days ago and it’s badly in need of resuscitation,” said Wilks who was speaking at the launch of the Western Relays at the Deja Resort in Montego Bay, on Tuesday.

“I am part of a process that is in progress led by our minister (Minister of Sport Olivia Grange). It is a process, and we hope that in the not too distant future we will see the return of the track and the Western Relays to the west. I reassure you it is not forgotten,” he added.