Michael Clarke of Calabar. - Ricardo Makyn

Schools whose coaches threatened to pull the plug on the 2008 ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys and Girls Athletic Championships at the National Stadium could face serious punishment.

On yesterday's opening day of the four-day meet, coaches kept their athletes from competing for more than an hour, protesting against the organisers' decision to deny them access to the unoccupied bleachers section of the stands. The coaches were also not allowed to enter the grandstand from inside the stadium, but were required to leave the warm-up area at Stadium East and enter the National Stadium through one of the main entrances.

George Forbes, competition's director at the Inter-Secondary Schools Sports Association (ISSA), said the coaches involved in yesterday's protest would be summoned to face ISSA's disciplinary committee.

"All the coaches involved will be called to face the disciplinary committee and the school will be put on probation," Forbes said, while pointing out suspension is also possible.

Forbes further added that the coaches took an independent decision without the backing of the schools.

"The schools said the coaches cannot decide what to do," he noted.

According to Forbes, the problem arose when the coaches wanted to have access to the grandstand area from inside the stadium.

He added that when the coaches, who are from some of the island's top schools, were refused access, they "shut down the tunnel" which adjoins the warm-up track at Stadium East and the National Stadium.

"They were demanding access through the marathon tunnel to the grandstand and when they were told this was non-negotiable, they blocked the tunnel," explained Forbes.

However, Forbes said after a meeting with the coaches, ISSA contacted Independence Park Limited, the company which manages the National Stadium, and the coaches were granted access to the bleachers.

Michael Clarke, coach of defending boys champion Calabar High and representative of the coaches, said they had some dissatisfaction and challenges, but after a meeting with the officials he was satisfied.

"The issue has been resolved and I think everybody is happy now," Clarke said.

He noted the main challenge was for the coaches to be walking from the warm-up area at stadium east around to the grandstand to watch their athletes.

"All the coaches wanted was to see their athletes in action, but they were denied access to the stadium via the bleachers," Clarke said.

The bleachers are usually closed on the first two days of the national championships due to a low spectator turnout.

- Anthony Foster