by Adrian Frater, News Editor

Dr. Walton Small ... ISSA's chairman. - file

Western Bureau

Today's scheduled Ben Francis KO match between daCosta Cup Zone A winners Cornwall College and Cedric Titus from Zone D will not be played.

Cornwall are under investigation for using an ineligible player in the preliminary round of the daCosta Cup.

"Allegations claiming that Cornwall College have used a new player, who breached the eligibility clause by not sitting out one year, has come to our attention and while we have not received a formal protest from any principal, which is the requirement, we have decided to investigate the matter," said ISSA's chairman, Dr. Walton Small.

"While we are not seeking to pre-empt anything, we will be reviewing the file of the player in question and we have requested and will be examining all of Cornwall College's match cards," said Small. "We have taken a decision to put the Ben Francis KO game between Cornwall College and Cedric Titus, which was slated for tomorrow (today), on hold," he said.

While ISSA awaits the anticipated protests from schools that could benefit should Cornwall College be found in breach of any regulations, Dr. Small said that from an integrity perspective, ISSA feels obligated to conduct its own investigations.

Big misunderstanding

When contacted for a comment on the issue, Cornwall College's coach Dr. Dean Weatherley described the situation as one big misunderstanding involving William Wilkinson, a student who transferred from a Montego Bay private high school to Cornwall College at the start of the current academic year.

"He came to us from a non-ISSA school (private school) so we never realised that the rules would have affected him," said Weatherley. "In any event, he just played 20 minutes in one game and even if we lose the points from that game, we would win the zone nonetheless."

In looking at the ISSA clause that would prevent Wilkinson from representing Cornwall College this season, Weatherley said that he has now learnt that had the player been 16 years old and not 17, the rule would not have affected his participation.

With the ISSA probe already under way, Small said the investigations could be completed within a day or so, to facilitate the smooth running of the Ben Francis Cup, which is being contested by zone winners from the preliminary round of the daCosta Cup.

Players from Cornwall College (right) at the daCosta Cup opening ceremony held at Jarrett Park in Montego Bay last month. - file