Ayanna Kirton (second left), brand manager of Gatorade, talks with Errol Greene (left), member of the organising committee, Ruthlyn Johnson (second right), corporate communications officer of JPS, and Lyndie Headley at the Gibson relays sponsors' launch, held at Knutsford Court hotel on Thursday, January 29. - Rudolph Brown/Chief Photographer

Teams from as far as Korea could be on show at next month's Gibson Relays, to be staged at the National Stadium.

At Thursday's launch, held at the Knutsford Court Hotel, Errol Greene, a member of the organising committee, said overseas interests are very high.

"The interest from overseas teams has been phenomenal," Greene told The Gleaner. "We have teams from a number of Caribbean countries, from Canada, we expect teams from as far as Korea, Puerto Rico and Cayman Islands. So, we have teams from far and wide."

Asked if local teams MVP and Racers will be among the 'big guns', Greene said, "We expect those and, as I said before, some of our local superstars will be there.

"Gibson is the only meet in the world where you can come and see people like Asafa Powell and Usain Bolt run for the price of the ticket to (enter)," he added, while making reference to the $700 (grandstand) and $100 (bleachers) entrance fee.

The Milo Junior Grand Prix, which will conclude at the Gibson Relays, is a new addition.

The Grand Prix Series, which involves two events - 4x800 and 4x100m Open for classes one and two athletes - will see $500,000 in prize money.

Apart from the Gibson Relays, the St Elizabeth Technical Invitational, Puma/JAAA Develop-ment, Milo Western Relays and G.C. Foster College Last Chance events are the meets where points will be tallied after which the 4x800m-winning teams will get $150,000 each and the 4x100m champions $100,000.

Among the 38 sponsors, those which backed the Championship events are: Citibank (4x100m, institution men); Gas Producers Ltd (4x400m, institution men); HD Hopwood (4x800, high girls open), Interactive Voice Solutions (4x400m, high girls open); Jamaica National (4x100m, girls' Class One); Port Authority (4x100m, boys' Class One); Puma (4x400m, boys open) and Singer (4x800m, boys Open).