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KC coach blames ISSA for team's lukewarm celebration
Paul Reid
Tuesday, April 07, 2009
Despite lifting the Mortimer Geddes trophy for the 31st time after a heart-stopping 1.5 points win over two-time defending champions Calabar High at the GraceKennedy/ISSA Boys' and Girls' Championships at the National Stadium on Saturday, Kingston College's coach Michael Russell felt they were not allowed to properly celebrate the victory.
Members of the winning Kingston College aggregation in a jubilant mood at the end of the four-day ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys' and Girls' Championships inside the National Stadium on Saturday night. (Photo: Bryan Cummings)
Efforts by the media to find Russell after the meet proved futile as he never came into the 'Stadium' to celebrate with his team and coaching staff.
In an interview with the Observer yesterday, Russell, who was guiding Kingston College for the second year, pointed an accusing finger squarely at the Inter-Secondary Schools Sports Association (ISSA) and Champs chairman Clement Radcliffe.
Russell said they were getting ready to come into the 'Stadium' after the 4x400m relay that sealed their slim victory but were "escorted out by police and security personnel", who were told by Radcliffe, "not to allow them back in".
An upset Russell accused ISSA of being "only interested in the commercialisation of Champs and not thinking about the hardworking coaches".
George Forbes, Competitions Co-ordinator for ISSA, came to the defence of ISSA and Radcliffe, however, claiming that ISSA was simply "upholding the rules of the competition".
Forbes explained that it was the custom for both winning teams to parade out of the marathon tunnel from the warm up area into the 'Stadium' in an orderly manner, but members of the Kingston College team and coaches were not complying.
Additionally, with the title decided in the final event of the four-day meet, Forbes said there were logistics involved.
If Calabar had won, he said, they would come out of the tunnel and make a right, while Holmwood would make a left and circle the 'Stadium' in front of the grandstand.
If Kingston College won then they would turn left and go past their fans that occupy the section of the bleacher to the right of the grandstand.
Several members of the team had come out of the tunnel, Forbes said, and had turned right which would take them in front of the Calabar fans in the bleachers and the police, on order by ISSA, turned them back.
"We were being consistent in upholding the law," he insisted.
Russell also complained that no ISSA official had turned up at a meeting held on Tuesday at Wolmer's Girls' School.
About 50 coaches and managers from schools all over the island, he said, had turned up at the meeting which was set to start at 7:00 pm, and two hours later, no ISSA official had turned up.
Russell told the Observer that Glen Mills, the meet director, "tried his best to help iron out some issues we had", but said it was unacceptable that no ISSA official had turned up.
Paul Reid
Tuesday, April 07, 2009
Despite lifting the Mortimer Geddes trophy for the 31st time after a heart-stopping 1.5 points win over two-time defending champions Calabar High at the GraceKennedy/ISSA Boys' and Girls' Championships at the National Stadium on Saturday, Kingston College's coach Michael Russell felt they were not allowed to properly celebrate the victory.
Members of the winning Kingston College aggregation in a jubilant mood at the end of the four-day ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys' and Girls' Championships inside the National Stadium on Saturday night. (Photo: Bryan Cummings)Efforts by the media to find Russell after the meet proved futile as he never came into the 'Stadium' to celebrate with his team and coaching staff.
In an interview with the Observer yesterday, Russell, who was guiding Kingston College for the second year, pointed an accusing finger squarely at the Inter-Secondary Schools Sports Association (ISSA) and Champs chairman Clement Radcliffe.
Russell said they were getting ready to come into the 'Stadium' after the 4x400m relay that sealed their slim victory but were "escorted out by police and security personnel", who were told by Radcliffe, "not to allow them back in".
An upset Russell accused ISSA of being "only interested in the commercialisation of Champs and not thinking about the hardworking coaches".
George Forbes, Competitions Co-ordinator for ISSA, came to the defence of ISSA and Radcliffe, however, claiming that ISSA was simply "upholding the rules of the competition".
Forbes explained that it was the custom for both winning teams to parade out of the marathon tunnel from the warm up area into the 'Stadium' in an orderly manner, but members of the Kingston College team and coaches were not complying.
Additionally, with the title decided in the final event of the four-day meet, Forbes said there were logistics involved.
If Calabar had won, he said, they would come out of the tunnel and make a right, while Holmwood would make a left and circle the 'Stadium' in front of the grandstand.
If Kingston College won then they would turn left and go past their fans that occupy the section of the bleacher to the right of the grandstand.
Several members of the team had come out of the tunnel, Forbes said, and had turned right which would take them in front of the Calabar fans in the bleachers and the police, on order by ISSA, turned them back.
"We were being consistent in upholding the law," he insisted.
Russell also complained that no ISSA official had turned up at a meeting held on Tuesday at Wolmer's Girls' School.
About 50 coaches and managers from schools all over the island, he said, had turned up at the meeting which was set to start at 7:00 pm, and two hours later, no ISSA official had turned up.
Russell told the Observer that Glen Mills, the meet director, "tried his best to help iron out some issues we had", but said it was unacceptable that no ISSA official had turned up.
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