Jamaican secondary school athletics faces a critical infrastructure challenge as the Montego Bay Sports Complex remains unavailable for track events, prompting calls for government intervention. Keith Wellington, President of the Inter-secondary Schools Sports Association (ISSA), has issued a strong appeal to authorities to address the prolonged closure of the Catherine Hall-based stadium, which hasn’t hosted a track meet since 2018.
The approaching 2026 ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys’ and Girls’ Athletics Championships highlights the growing disparity between western Jamaican schools and their counterparts. Two major qualifying events—the Western Athletic Championships and Milo Western Relays—will again relocate to GC Foster College in St. Catherine due to the unsatisfactory condition of the Montego Bay track.
Wellington expressed particular frustration during a recent podcast appearance, directly attributing the situation to institutional negligence. “It is your negligence why our western schools have had to, for the last umpteen years, be travelling to Kingston for every opportunity to compete in track and field,” he stated, addressing the Sports Development Foundation and Ministry of Sport directly.
A potential solution emerges through private sector involvement. The Montego Bay Multi-Sports Development Limited, led by businessman Yoni Epstein, awaits final approval from the Ministry of Local Government to lease the facility. Epstein confirmed plans for a $700 million investment that would upgrade the track to World Athletics standards.
However, Wellington emphasizes that immediate financial support is crucial for western schools struggling with increased travel expenses and hurricane recovery costs. He proposes dedicated annual budgeting through sports agencies to subsidize participation costs until the complex becomes operational.
The ISSA president cited the government’s rapid allocation of resources for April’s Grand Slam Track event at the National Stadium as evidence that similar urgency could resolve the western Jamaica situation. “We took four weeks to make a decision and to find the funding to resurface the National Stadium track,” Wellington noted, questioning why the western region has waited years for similar consideration.
Meanwhile, ISSA is collaborating with corporate partners including Puma and GraceKennedy to provide equipment and support to schools affected by Hurricane Melissa, ensuring student-athletes can continue participating despite challenging circumstances.