ISSA clears KC, St George's following Manning Cup probe

Ryon Jones, Gleaner Writer

The Inter-Secondary Schools Sports Association (ISSA) has given the all-clear signal to Kingston College (KC) and St George's College following a probe into the use of ineligible players in the first round of this year's competition.

The players, who represent the schools in the urban area Manning Cup football competition, were KC's Tamario Osburn and André Lewis of St George's College. It was thought they had not met the academic requirements to play in the competition.

The Inter-Secondary Schools Sports Association's investigations have, however, revealed that despite the Christmas term grades having been submitted instead of the required summer term grades, the boys would have met the conditions if the suitable reports had been submitted.

"They have produced evidence to say that the boys would have qualified even though they submitted the wrong grades," ISSA's competition director, George Forbes, said yesterday. "... They submitted the monthly six-week test this term as opposed to what they should have submitted last term."

Continuing, Forbes explained: "According to them (schools), they have higher standards than ISSA, so they did not allow the boys to play until after the six-week exams that they set. When the boys did the six-week exams and passed those, they submitted those grades which, according to ISSA rules, is illegal," he pointed out.

The five-member disciplinary committee, which comprised ISSA's president, Dr Walton Small, Manning Cup chairman, Aston Messam, netball chairperson, Angella Chaplain, girls' football chairperson, Dhalia Black, and Forbes, gave the boys the all-clear to play after being re-registered.

"We figured that because they could have submitted last term's report and the boys would have been able to play, we decided to exonerate them with just a warning to say that they must not do it again," Forbes stated.

"They have to register them with last term's report, and as soon as they do that the boys will be able to play," he added.

The work of the disciplinary committee might not yet be over as other schools, which have not progressed to the second round, will be investigated, with the possibility of them being banned from next year's competition.

"We haven't gone to Calabar as yet because we had wanted to do the schools that have a chance of going through," Forbes said.

"There are other schools that are going to be checked, and since the news broke about St George's and KC, other prominent schools have been fingered, and we are investigating those schools," he warned.