Did the InterSecondary Schools Sports Association (ISSA) drop the ball when they agreed with Jamaica College (JC) and St Andrew Technical High School (STATHS) not to replay their rescheduled game?

Information emerging from ISSA stated: “Good day, please note that Jamaica College and STATHS have both requested that yesterday’s weather-affected match should not be rescheduled.

“The decision has been taken that no points will be allocated to the teams, and the Point Standings for the Group will remain as is. This decision will not affect any of the teams and also the placings,” said ISSA.

But the decision not to replay the match could be seen as impacting the integrity of the competition, especially if the outcome would have affected the teams’ groupings in the second round.

By not playing the match, the original group standings were maintained, which might have given some teams an unfair advantage or disadvantage in the next round.

In this case, the ISSA’s decision could be seen as compromising the competitive integrity of the tournament, as the match’s outcome could have had a significant impact on the teams’ paths forward.

JC and STATHS ended with 23 points, with JC emerging zone winners based on a better goal difference.

The result or lack of result wouldn’t affect the other teams as Vauxhall High was in third spot, on 16 points, and Camperdown was down in fourth spot with 15 points.

But it certainly affected the second round as JC, the zone winner, was placed in Group 4 alongside Mona High, Eltham High and St Jago.

STATHS, on the other hand, ended up in Group 1 with three former champions, Excelsior High, Tivoli Gardens High and Wolmer’s Boys.

The fact that the cancelled match could have decided which second-round group the teams ended in threw out the integrity of the competition.

Had JC lost that cancelled game, they would have been placed in the group with Excelsior, Wolmer’s and Tivoli Gardens, while STATHS would play against the 2023 champion Mona, Eltham and St Jago High.

Once that was altered, the integrity of the Manning Cup was thrown out the window. That’s a poor decision by ISSA.

For the teams to know the predetermined group that they would be in based on their current standing and agreed not to play the rescheduled game, knowing very well the second-round grouping could change based on the result, has damaged the Manning Cup’s integrity.

How could ISSA, made up of brilliant principals, sit around a table and agree with both JC and STATHS, knowing very well that a defeat for JC would alter the course of the teams’ placing in the second round?