SHAYNE FAIRMAN, STAR Writer

Jamaica College (JC) will be hoping to use its newly opened Patrick Gordon Basketball Court to develop talents internally and to dominate Inter-secondary Schools Sports Association (ISSA) Under-14 to Under-19 competitions.

The official opening ceremony took place at the 189 Old Hope Road institution.

The project was funded by Patrick Gordon. Peter Melhado was a supporting financial partner.

Principal Ruel Reid was delighted with the new court.

"Our courts were not up to ISSA standards, and, therefore, we had to be playing our matches elsewhere. This will provide us with a home advantage in terms of us playing our games on our own courts," he said.

"JC has a mantra of being champions. We like to be number one in everything, so we are all excited, and when JC boys are excited and motivated, the sky becomes the limit in terms of possibilities," Reid continued.

"Everybody knows anytime JC enters a competition, we enter to win," he added.

Upbeat

Coach Daniel Cunningham was upbeat that the new facilities would bring more success.

"We are a powerhouse in basketball; defending champions in the Under-14; third in Under-16; and second in Under-19," he noted.

"Before, we had only one basket functional, and the court was unsafe. We should go into next season as favourites in Under-16; and should be really competitive in the Under-14," he added.

"Two thousand students attend JC, so we look at them and teach them from A-Z," added Cunningham.