Organisers vow to give JIIM new lease on life
ORGANISERS of the Jamaica International Invitational Meet (JIIM) say they have been working around the clock to have the meet return to the local track and field calendar.
The World Athletics-recognised track and field meet was last staged in 2018 but chairman of the organising committee, Dr Warren Blake told the Jamaica Observer that his team has been working on a number of logistical matters for the return of the meet this year.
“We have been having some discussions and so the meet has not been cancelled for this year but the discussions have not been finalised as yet, so we really can’t say anything much,” said Blake.
“But so far, the plan is to have it this year because it is one of the longest-running meets in Jamaica and so we really would not want to not have it this year as it is an important meet on the calendar. It is one of the first outdoor meets in the senior season and we usually get a lot of support for it,” he added.
Blake shared that they are yet to finalise a date for the event as they are still in negotiations with a number of sponsors who have expressed an interest in partnering for the event.
“That [sponsorship] is what we are having negotiations around at the moment,” Dr Blake said.
Meanwhile, president of the Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association (JAAA) Garth Gayle said his administration stands ready to assist the organisers of the meet in whatever way they can.
“The JAAA stands ready to assist meet promoters, especially those who put on international meets here in Jamaica, and so I know the organisers are busy putting things in place for the staging of their event and so we await further information of the event,” said Gayle.
The meet, which was first held in 2004, was designated as a World Challenge meet, which sits one tier down from the Diamond League. However, the meet was later designated a silver-level meet in the World Athletics Continental World Series, which was launched in 2020 to replace the World Challenge events.