I was surprised - Wilson

... World Champs coach speaks on his latest assignment

André Lowe, Senior Staff Reporter

Recently appointed head coach of Jamaica's team to the IAAF World Championships in Athletics, Daegu, South Korea, Maurice Wilson, admitted that he was somewhat surprised when he received the call, but is more than certain that he is ready to successfully take on the task at hand.

Wilson, who led the maroon army of Holmwood Technical High School to their ninth straight national girls' title earlier this year, follows up his assignment as head coach at last year's Commonwealth Games in Delhi, India, with this latest appointment.

The GC Foster College of Physical Education and Sports' head coach has also led teams to the IAAF World Junior Championships in 2000 (Chile), 2004 (Grosseto, Italy) and 2006 (Beijing, China), as well as featuring on the coaching staff at the Athens (2004) and Beijing (2008) Olympic Games and the last three IAAF World Championships in Athletics, which were held in Helsinki (2005), Osaka (2007) and Berlin (2009), respectively.

Nonetheless, this experience with national teams did not prevent Wilson from being a bit caught off guard when the Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association hierarchy told him that, he would he handed the reigns for the Daegu team.

"Yes I was surprised, because I think that there are excellent coaches that are on the same panel of coaches that I was selected from, so I didn't consider myself in that situation; I didn't really think about it," Wilson said. "Having said that, I know that the responsibility is not beyond me."

"I have served under Dennis Johnson, Donald Quarrie among others, and I have very good friends in coaching such as Raymond 'KC' Graham and Michael Clarke, who have been there before me and who, when I went in as a junior coach, I worked closely with them," Wilson noted. "In terms of experience, I know that I am ready and up to the task."

"Its always an honour to represent my country in any capacity. I know that there are a lot of other esteemed coaches that could be here. I know that it's a great responsibility, but I am sure that based on the experience of the coaches and the management staff, we are in a good position to make sure that whatever is done, is done first of all, in the interest of the athlete and the country," Wilson added.

Technical director

The esteemed Fitz Coleman, who was appointed technical director of the team, was also happy to be on-board, and is looking to play a key role in Daegu.

"It's a position that I have embraced," said Coleman, the former coach of double record holder and Olympic and World champion Usain Bolt. "I do enjoy my coaching, and being involved in this capacity does not prevent me from getting involved in that aspect of it."

"I would be more of a conduit between the management, coaches and the athletes (in Deagu); the middle man, ensuring that the necessary logistics are taken care of and to ensure that any problems that may arise from athletes' competition; I am the person who would assist that process. I will also discuss strategies with coaches and see to it that the ship sails smoothly, so to speak," Coleman explained.