8 months ago
24
NEW YORK:
SHAWN FALCONER, chair of the inaugural Next Gen Invitational Relays’ local organising committee (LOC), set for Mount Vernon, New York, on April 19, says he is encouraged by the response from schools and coaches locally and overseas.
In a virtual meeting with committee members, Falconer, a Jamaica College (JC) alum, said he was pleased with the level of planning, with less than a month for the start of the event.
“It’s our first go around and so there is a buzz as we field questions from the general public here and coaches from Jamaica,” said Falconer.
Powerhouse Jamaican programmes Holmwood Technical and Vere Technical, on the girls’ side, are expected to be joined by Bellfield High.
Falconer, one of the principal organisers of an annual alumni football festival in Yonkers, said he was aware of the focus on the ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys and Girls’ Athletics Championships at the moment but that he is expected to hear from a number of coaches in time for the close of entries at the end of the month.
Asked about Tri-state Area entries, Falconer said he would be meeting with the agent handling registration and race day logistics, ‘in a matter of days’, adding that patrons and participants can expect a ‘warm’ welcome from Shawyn Patterson-Howard, the mayor of the City of Mount Vernon; Alsion Wilson, OD, consul general of Jamaica to New York, and Donovan Wilson, president of Union of Jamaican Alumni Associations (USA), Inc., all of whom have confirmed attendance.
Hosted by Next-Generation Event Corporation, which is headquartered in New York, the event aims to foster athletic excellence, teamwork, and sportsmanship among participants and is being positioned as a tune-up for teams – local and overseas – heading to the prestigious Penn Relays Carnival at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia a week later (April 24-26).
Schools and coaches have until March 31, to submit their entries at www.nextgen-nyc.com. Patrons can purchase tickets online at eventbrite.com.
English (US) ·