By Lincoln DePradine

Cyril Cox has served in various roles in sports in Grenada. He’s been sportsman, coach, educator and a games’ official.

Cox, in one of his latest assignments, was the “Video Referee’’ at the recently concluded Inter-Secondary Schools’ (Intercol) track and field championships at the Kirani James Athletic Stadium.

It was to the “Decision Review System’’, utilized by Cox, that on-field officials turned for a definite decision, when an athlete’s infraction was called or suspected.

“The technology helps the game run faster and smoother,’’ Cox said in an interview.

However, Cox – who ran track as a schoolboy and represented Grenada as a national basketball player – believes that an effort should be undertaken to teach athletes and fans of the changing rules of track and field.

For the local athletes, it will reduce on infringements that hardly ever occur at international track events, said Cox.

“At the end of the day, the athlete is the centre of attention, so you always have to give the athlete the benefit of the doubt. But, we now need to teach them the rules and help them perfect the rules, so they don’t get into any infringements,’’ said Cox, who has taught at T.A. Marryshow Community College and attended Old Dominion University in North Virginia on a basketball scholarship.

The benefit to fans, on being more familiar with the rules, is that they “can enjoy the games more’’, Cox said.

The three-day Intercol games involved participation from 25 schools.

St David’s Catholic Secondary School easily won the girls’ championship crown, garnering 335 points. Second was Anglican High School (AHS) with 221.5 points; and St Joseph’s Convent (St George’s), with 183.5 points, was third.

GBSS was boys’ title-holder, securing the win in the last race of the championships. The 331.5 points by GBSS – 2. 5 more than second-placed St Andrew’s Anglican Secondary School (SAASS) – was enough for them to celebrate as boys’ champions 2023.

GBSS and SAASS were followed in third by St David’s Secondary.

A SAASS student, however, was named most outstanding Intercol male athlete. Crystophe Calliste was the victor ludorum.

Cheffonia Houston, an AHS student, was named victrix ludorum for an all-round outstanding performance at the schools’ championships.

The March 28 – 30 games, sponsored by Republic Bank, featured some of Grenada’s Paralympic athletes.

The Paralympic component, and the introduction this year of two new events to Intercol, augur well “for the growth and development of Grenada’s premier track and field competition’’, said Naomi De Allie, Republic Bank’s managing director.