ISSA chairman appeals for sportsmanship

Jermaine Lannaman, Gleaner Writer

Anthony Ewbanks, the Inter-Secondary Schools Sports Association (ISSA) new chairman for urban area cricket - which coordinates the Grace Shield - is making an appeal for key stakeholders to continue honouring the virtues of the game and the spirit in which the competition is played.

Ewbanks, the principal of reigning Grace Shield and Jamaica International Insurance Company knockout champions, Innswood High, said a number of sacrifices are being made to ensure that the competition is played in a sportsmanlike manner and players and officials must ensure those standards are maintained.

"The competition represents great sacrifices on the part of all stakeholders, particularly schools, teachers, students and coaches. So it's important that everyone continue to treat it with the level of respect and appreciation," said Ewbanks, during the official opening ceremony and match of the Grace Shield.

"We have seen high levels of sponsorship, discipline and individual performances over the years, and we also hope that this will continue."

The ceremony, which was held at St Catherine High prior to the opening match between the hosts and Wolmer's Boys, also saw First Global Bank assistant vice-president for retail banking, Lloyd Black, offering words of encouragement to the players and urging them to use the opportunity to build lifelong skills.

Relationships

"While victory is important, building friendships and relationships should be one of your targets, and when you get old it could come in handy," Black said.

Marlon Campbell, principal of St Catherine High, used the occasion to wish the teams present - and those who were not in attendance - best wishes for the season.

Meanwhile, St Catherine, who were beaten semi-finalists last season, had to settle for a draw with Wolmer's.

Sent in to bat an hour after the scheduled 10 a.m. start, due to the ceremony, St Catherine eventually declared their innings at 209 for seven.

Openers Odane Duncan and Andre Steadman, 39 and 38, respectively, led the scoring for the hosts against off-spinner Delbert Gayle, three for 48.

Wolmer's, in reply, narrowly escaped defeat when they reached 112 for nine, before bad light stopped play at approximately 5:30 p.m.