JTA National Athletics Championships to Feature Special Races for Athletes with Disabilities

The 2026 Jamaica Teachers’ Association (JTA) National Athletics Championships will feature special needs races as part of efforts to make the annual primary-school competition more inclusive.

Chairman, Sports Committee of the JTA, Winston Robinson, said four special-needs races will be contested during the meet.

“[At] this year’s JTA Sagicor Athletics Championships, we will be introducing four races for special needs athletes. We will be having two races for girls and two for boys,” Mr. Robinson said.

“We will have those athletes with special needs… running an 80m race in the following categories… 11 and under and 12 to 14 years. So that is our inclusion of that group,” he added.

Mr. Robinson told JIS News that the races will be held on the second day of the championships as part of the invitational segment of the programme.

The chairman indicated that the organisers have been working closely with the Jamaica Paralympic Association to guide the implementation of the initiative.

“We have started this process… . We consulted the Paralympic Association for some guidelines…, hence we are where we are with these races,” Mr. Robinson said.

He further stated that since this is the first year the races are being introduced, focus will be placed primarily on special-needs schools in Kingston and St. Andrew to allow organisers to closely monitor the athletes.

Mr. Robinson also shared that discussions are ongoing about expanding the initiative in future stagings of the championships.

“We have been having some discussion as to how we can integrate those athletes on a wider scale. But for this year’s event, that is what we will be doing,” he stated.

The championships will be held from June 26 to 27 at the National Stadium in Kingston.