(From left) JAAA president Howard Aris; Olympians Juliet Cuthbert and Donald Quarrie; Minister of Sport, Olivia Grange, and Sports Development Foundation Chairman, David Mais, at yesterday's launch of the Jamaica International Invitational Meet at the Hilton Kingston Hotel. (Photo: Lionel Rookwood)

WORLD sprint champions, Veronica Campbell of Jamaica and the Tyson Gay of the USA will headline the Jamaica International Invitational Track and Field Meet (JIIM) slated for Saturday, May 3, at the National Stadium beginning at 7:00 pm.

Campbell and Gay will compete in the respective female and male 200m at the meet which received International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) Area Permit Meet status last year.

This means athletes who compete in the fifth staging can earn points for the World Athletics Final in Stuttgart, Germany, in September.

POWELL... will be noticeably absent from meet

This year's event will receive a $21 million backing from the Ministry of Sport.

Gay will be joined by World Championships finalists Marvin Anderson, Christopher Williams, as well as Clement Campbell, while the women's 200m field will feature Campbell, World Championships 200m bronze medallist Susanthika Jayasinghe of Sri Lanka, Olympic medallist Aleen Bailey, LaShaunte Moore and NCAA Indoor champion, Bianca Knight.

The men's 100m field will feature 200m World Championships silver medallist Usain Bolt and World Champs bronze medallist Wallace Spearmon, as well as sprint relay gold medallist Darvis Patton - both of the USA - along with former world champion, Kim Collins of St Kitts/Nevis.

World Champs sprint relay silver medallist Kerron Stewart and Taneisha Harrigan will compete in the women's equivalent.

World Championships bronze medallist, Delloreen Ennis-London, along with Vonette Dixon, Lacena Golding-Clarke will line up in the 100m hurdles, while the men's 110m hurdles will boast Jamaicans Maurice Wignall, Decosmo Wright and Richard Phillips.

2005 World Champs silver medallist, Sanya Richards, 2007 World Champs bronze medallist, Jamaican Novelene Williams, and the USA's DeeDee Trotter will compete in the 400m.

On the men's side, Andrew Rock, Ricardo Chambers, Sanjay Ayre, and Michael Blackwood will do battle.

Lashinda Demus, Shevon Stoddart and Michelle Burgher are down for the 400m hurdles, while the men's event will feature world champion Kerron Clement, Isa Phillips, Derrick Williams and Olympic silver medallist, Danny McFarlane.
Kenia Sinclair, Mardrea Hyman, Marion Burnett and Hazel Clark are expected to run in the 800m, while in the field events, Dorian Scott will compete in the shot put and James Beckford and Elva Goulbourne in the long jump.

The cadre of top MVP athletes, including world 100-metre record-holder, Asafa Powell will be noticeably absent from the meet.

Organising Committee member and 1976 Olympic 200m champion, Donald Quarrie, said the group had been invited, but declined because many of their top athletes would be competing at overseas meets during that period.

"I got the list and all of their top athletes were not included. I know they are planning to run at Mount SAC relays (Texas) and overseas again... so although invited... they have not accepted our invitation," he said.

Meanwhile, Quarrie said the hope was that at some point the JIIM would gain Grand Prix status from the IAAF and that the ability to attract top name athletes was a big plus.

"Fortunately we have had a large list of athletes who would like to compete and it helps the status because we score points as the meet is graded by the IAAF based on performances and the hotel and athletes feedback, so we are scoring very high in the categories, so our meet is going up there with some big meets," he said.

The Ministry of Sport will host the meet for the first time since its inception and Sports Minister, Olivia Grange, was present at yesterday's launch at the Hilton Hotel.

Ticket prices, Jamaica Amateur Athletic Association (JAAA) president Howard Aris said, would be reasonable to help boost spectator support. Bleachers tickets will start at $200, while Grandstand tickets will go for $1,000, $1,500, and $2,000.