SHAYNE FAIRMAN, STAR Writer

Natalie Neita-Headley, minister with responsibility for sport says it is only fit that stakeholders to Jamaica's fledging athletics brand develop policies and legal framework now to protect student athletes, while ensuring continued development through corporate sponsorship/support.

Her comments came following a ban on Michael O'Hara and Jaheel Hyde of Calabar High School and Wolmer's Boy's respectively by the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA), which governs the world renowned Penn Relays.

Speaking at Tuesday's launch of the 2015 Jamaica International Invitational Meet (JII), at the Half-Way Tree Transport Centre, Neita-Headley deemed her ministerial intervention, 'necessary at this time."

"I feel it is necessary at this time to intervene in the recent impasse that has occurred with our two high-school students... as it relates to their appearances in the Penn Relays," said Neita-Headley.

The minister plans a pro-active approach onward, with all stakeholders needed on board to prevent controversial recurrences which emerged, like claims of guerrilla marketing. "Coming out of this, I expect an intent to work with ISSA, to work with the JAAA and other governing bodies in sport, to ensure that we develop policies to protect our student athletes," she stressed "While it's important to balance both, I daresay I want to continue to encourage our sponsors to support our student athletes, but how we support, where we support, who we support is going to be critical as we go forward," warned Neita-Headley. She added that sponsorship must not come at the expense of the career development of any student athlete.

"It's important to note also, that whilst the sponsors are to be thanked wholeheartedly, for having taken this process from being just relaxation and competition, they have given our young people that competitive edge by giving so much towards the development of sport.

"I want to ensure that we do it in such a way that our athletes are protected, their futures are protected, while the sponsors are able to contribute in a meaningful way to their development and to sport in general," said the sport minister.