ISSA president hopes for healthy schoolboy football atmosphere
Published:Thursday | November 27, 2025 | 12:08 AM
PRESIDENT OF the Inter-Secondary School Sports Association (ISSA), Keith Wellington, says the schoolboy football season, which restarts on Friday after being forced to be postponed due to the devastating passage of Hurricane Melissa, may not generate the same excitement and passion prior to its pause.
However, he is happy that they could resume both the Manning Cup and daCosta Cup and calls for full support for the young players.
“I am elated. I am head of one of the institutions that suffered significant damages,” said the St Elizabeth Technical High School principal.
“And my position is that we must not always see ourselves as victims.
“We must be grateful for the things we still have and forget about what we have lost, and work with what we have. So I am happy that we are ready to resume.
“I am hopeful (the season will kick back into life). But I also understand that we have a national crisis on our hands, and not everyone may be as enthusiastic as they were before. But I am hopeful we will see this for what it is and give the youngsters our full support.”
He noted that the only disappointment in the resumption is that Maldon High School, situated in southern St James, were not able to continue. Nevertheless, he said they anticipated their withdrawal and that the competition will proceed without any serious hiccups.
“The one significant challenge that we have is that Maldon decided not to continue in the competition.
“But they had indicated earlier that most of the youngsters on their team were not necessarily interested in playing. So they have decided not to continue.
“But outside of that, most things seem to be going well. Most teams have been involved, playing practice games over the last two weeks. So things seem to be going well.”
He noted that restarting the season is also relevant to the nation’s effort to return to some level of normality, after the country’s most horrific natural disaster.
“All the schools indicated they are really interested in getting the competition restarted, and the boys are looking forward to playing. I am elated that we are restarting and providing this opportunity, because most of the boys would be more than disappointed if they were not able to complete the season.
“Nationally, it is also an indication that we are ready to find a way through this crisis, and we (ISSA) are doing it through various sporting competitions,” he said.