Weekend ‘double treat’ at Stadium

Sports fans are being promised a double treat at the National Stadium this weekend with two massive events planned for the Independence Park facility today and tomorrow.

This after the organisers of Velocity Fest announced that its 19th staging, which had been previously scheduled for today, has been shifted to tomorrow making way for the Reggae Girlz clash against Guyana in the Concacaf World Cup Qualifiers.

Competitions Director for Velocity Fest 19 Bruce James told The Gleaner that rather than shifting the meet to another facility today, the organisers felt that a Sunday staging would amplify the weekend’s excitement at the venue.

He noted that this is more evidence that different sports in Jamaica can find solutions together and promised that fans are in for a treat with several athletes recently named by the Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association confirmed to take to the stadium track.

“As the organisers of this World Athletics Continental Tour Challenger event right here in Kingston Jamaica, we are thrilled with the world-class athletes who have registered to compete this Sunday at the National Stadium. Athletes like Oblique Seville, Kishane Thompson, Shericka Jackson, Tia and Tina Clayton, among others, all wanting to run here in Kingston for a Jamaican audience. It will be fabulous to see the competition this weekend,” James said.

The four-hour meet begins at 4 p.m. with Bryan Levell, who is skipping the World Relays, among the men listed for the 100 metres scheduled for 5:10 p.m.

Before that though, Jamaica’s National Senior Women’s football team, on the back of a 4-0 win over Antigua and Barbuda last week Friday, face Guyana at the same facility, as the Reggae Girlz continue their hunt for a third consecutive appearance at the FIFA World Cup.

Over the last week, the Reggae Girlz have been vocal about the support they felt from the just over 2,000 fans who turned up to see them play at the National Stadium for the first time since December 2024.

Speaking at Friday’s pre-match press conference, defender Deneisha ‘Den Den’ Blackwood, who has two World Cup tournaments under her belt, disclosed that the players remain encouraged by that strong show of support and are hoping even more fans turn out today.

“For me personally I think every time I hear the anthem and just see people standing up there and just watching us, I think for me it’s like OK I am gonna go out there and do what I can to make those people feel good about just coming here and supporting us and I think this game coming up a lot of the Girlz want the fans to come out. We need to see the fans and I think that everybody is having that feeling that we love the home crowd and we want to perform for them,” stressed Blackwood.