Financial support crucial for Champs success- Goburn

February 24, 2020
Keilando Goburn
Keilando Goburn
St Jago's Joanne Reid competes the 200m Class One girls event at the S W Isaac Henry Invitational held at the National Stadium last Saturday.
St Jago's Joanne Reid competes the 200m Class One girls event at the S W Isaac Henry Invitational held at the National Stadium last Saturday.
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St Jago High School athletics programme has been grappling with the same problem for many years.

The Monk Street-based institution is the only co-educational school to contend for the boys and girls' titles at the ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys and Girls' Athletics Championships yearly, but that pursuit is a costly venture.

With expenses such the compensation of coaches, equipment, medical bills and nutrition, it is estimated that it is costing St Jago millions to run two viable athletics programmes.

Keilando Goburn, the head coach of the girls' team, believes that the sharing of the resources has hurt his team chances of contending with the likes of Edwin Allen High School, Holmwood Technical and Hydel High.

" We need far more in terms of financial support as it is extremely difficult to maintain a programme so long. I would like to give a lot of credit to my schoolmates, some of my batchmates as they have been pouring in support in trying to help. We formed a WhatsApp group and they have given me tremendous support.

There are other pockets of support but I think more people can come on board as it is really expensive to carry on. There are many successful past St Jago athletes around so I am hoping they can come forward and inject more support into the programme," he said.

Goburn believes he and his staff have done well to turn the 1999 champions into a contender again.

" I think we have a very capable and competent team in this area. We are doing everything in our power to ensure the athletes maximise their potentials. Champs is five days and many persons tend to get carried away on the development meets and fail to manage the athletes properly. This is one of our main focus to manage our athletes as best as possible so come March 24- 28 we will all be proud," he said.

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