By Charmaine Austin, Staff Reporter 
A Windward Road Primary and Junior High School shooter maintains possession of the ball during action against Holy Family in the MultiCare netball competition at Breezy Castle on Wednesday. - Rudolph Brown/Staff Photographer
THE GROWING enthusiasm and high level of sportsmanship among teachers and students was evident during the annual MultiCare inter-schools sports competition that started at Breezy Castle this week.
In sweltering heat, girls and boys competed in netball and football competitions respectively and jostled among themselves to get the autograph of Olympic gold medallist and 400 metres hurdler Deon Hemmings, who was guest speaker at the opening ceremony. She gladly obliged to their every request.
Hemmings was also representing Puma and on behalf of the company handed out gifts of equipment to the first-place teams in the respective competitions.
In her speech, she reiterated the MultiCare fundamentals of love, discipline, responsibility, respect, self-esteem and personal hygiene to the young sportsmen and sportswomen.
More than 1,100 students from the 31 MultiCare assisted schools in East, West and Central Kingston and Greater Portmore participated.
Wednesday was the day for 10-12 year-olds. The 13-15s and 16-18s got their day in the sun on Thursday.
Endowed by Cable & Wireless Jamaica Limited, Caribbean Cement Company and the ICD Group, the MultiCare programme is in its 10 year and getting more successful with each staging.
Said Olympian Keith Gardner, who coordinates the event yearly, "The competition gets better with each passing year and it's good to see the teachers and student interact so well with each other.
"It speaks to the success of the programme."
Also at Wednesday's function were MultiCare's general manager, Leabert Grant, and Jamaica Amateur Athletic Association president Patrick Anderson.
The annual volleyball competition will be played next week, November 25 and 26.
