This Week in NACAC: Carifta 2022 – an exciting return for Caribbean youths

One of the highlights of the 49^th edition of the CARIFTA Games was the world record-breaking performance of the Jamaican U20 girls 4 x 100m relay team. They bettered the world record that the same quartet had set last year while winning the event at the World Athletics U20 Championships in Nairobi, Kenya. Because this was a team and not an individual performance it was not considered for the Sealy Trophy.

Other athletes considered for the Austin Sealy Award

While Hodge was the eventual recipient of the Austin Sealy Award at this

Keyshawn Strachan of the Bahamas produced a new CARIFTA record of 79.89m in the U20 Javelin Throw; Dior-Rae Scott, also of the Bahamas, set a Javelin Throw record in the U17 category (44.57m); Kobe Lawrence of Jamaica, set a record in the U20 Shot Put of 20.02m; Dionjah of the Jamaica threw the U17 discus to a new record of 45.32m; and Jadon Hibbert of Jamaica, leapt to a new record of 16.46m in the U20 triple jump.

Jamaican dominance continues

Jamaican athletes continued that country’s overwhelming dominance of the CARIFTA Games which started Barbados in 1972.

Playing host for the eight time, Jamaica was particularly well prepared for this year’s edition of the Games. It was only a few days earlier that the world-renowned Boys and Girls Champs (5 – 9 April) were held with amazing success, and at which the CARIFTA selectees were on show, highlighting their level of preparedness for allcomers at CARIFTA2022.

On yet another occasion, Jamaica won all of the relays at the Games. This feat came as part of the whopping 92 medals, 45 of which were gold, that Jamaican athletes took home. Bahamas followed with 17 medals, only four of which were gold while British Virgin Islands was next with seven medals of which four were gold.

Track and Field aficionados were enthused at the performance of the British Virgin Islands’ team to the Games.

President of NACAC, Mike Sands, commended the BVI athletes in particular, noting that they were doing in CARIFTA what Jamaica continues to do at the world level, ‘compete well above their body weight’.

According to Sands, “this year’s CARIFTA Games continued the recent trend for an increased number of countries whose athletes earned places on the medal podium, showcasing the work being undertaken by the coaches whom we have trained over the years. Their hard work is paying off and we are all the beneficiaries”.

 Bahamas to host CARIFTA@50

The BAAA, heavily supported by the nation’s government, won the right to host the 50^th edition of the CARIFTA Games over the Easter weekend of 2023.

Drumeco Archer, President of the BAAA, led the association’s presentation to the CARIFTA Congress, held at the Jamaica Pegasus hotel on Sunday 17 April. In support of the BAAA presentation to the Congress was The Bahamas’ Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture, Hon Mario Bowleg.

One day earlier, the Prime Minister of The Bahamas, Hon Philip Davis, hosted World Athletics President, Lord Sebastian Coe, NACAC President, Michael Sands and General Secretary, Keith Joseph, at a luncheon at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel.

Prime Minister Davis recommitted The Bahamas to full support to track and field, not only in his country but cross the world. He supported Minister Bowleg’s appeal for the World Relays to be returned to The Bahamas.

The BAAA is offering itself as an alternate to Costa Rica for the hosting of the NACAC Open Championships later this year.

NACAC to get a permanent home??

There is every reason to believe that NACAC can soon find itself in its own home and it could well be in The Bahamas.

The leadership of NACAC has already submitted a proposal to the government of The Bahamas regarding consideration of a permanent home for the organisation. At the Prime Minister’s luncheon on Saturday last, General Secretary of NACAC, Keith Joseph, again raised the matter and earned a response indicating that the matter is being examined and could well become a reality.

According to Joseph, “the truth is that each time the leadership of NACAC changes, the new president finds himself receiving a shipment of the organisation’s archives and other pertinent materials and equipment. The time has come for NACAC, perhaps the leading Area Association in the sport, to have its own permanent headquarters. We have approached the Bahamian government and we are confident that the interest and commitment being there, the project could be brought to fruition sooner rather than later.

Carifta to stay at Easter

The CARIFTA Games will continue to be held over the Easter Weekend. That is one of the decision taken by the CARIFTA Congress on Sunday last.

Despite the challenges of high air travel costs and hotel rates during that period delegates voted in favour of maintaining the traditional timing of the event.

The second major decision taken by the CARIFTA delegates was the unanimous approval of a change in the per person levy for Games participants from $150 USD to $250USD, effective 2023. The Congress left the NACAC Competitions Commission to consider the introduction of an annual CARIFTA Relays competition, beginning as early as 2023.

Around NACAC

Nicaragua

President of the member federation of Nicaragua, Xiomara Larios is the recipient of the top sports leader award for her country for outstanding leadership in the year, 2021.

At an activity hosted during the past week, Xiomara was awarded, the best sports leader of the year 2021, by the Nicaraguan Institute of Sports. She was also in receipt of official recognition for her outstanding work in and contribution to the 2021 National Youth Games, by the Managua Mayor’s Office.

St Vincent and the Grenadines

Members of the Vincentian team that returned home from this year’s CARIFTA Games in Jamaica were treated to a welcome ceremony organised by the Minister of Sport, Hon Stephenson, when they alighted the aircraft at the Argyle International Airport on Friday 22 April 2022.

Led by St Vincent Grammar School and IT DAT Academy’s athlete, Keo Davis, the team brought home the most medals thus far by any Vincentian track and field team to the 49 editions of the CARIFTA Games in which this country has participated.

“Although there were no gold medals for the Vincentian team the representation was good,” according to the team’s management. “Every athlete was magnanimous on the field of competition, giving their all, being ever conscious that they were representing St Vincent and the Grenadines,” the official continued.

Davis’ performance in the 100m, in which he came with a very late run to capture the bronze medal, allowed onlookers to expect a higher finishing position in the 200m. This he readily achieved, but with another amazing late run to take silver.

Verrol Sam (High Jump), Uroy Ryan (Long Jump) and Amal Glasgow (400m), each took turns at mounting the medal podium in Jamaica, proudly draped in the Vincentian flag.

The local governing body for the sport, Team Athletics St Vincent and the Grenadines (TASVG) expressed gratitude “to the administrators and coaches at both the Kingston College and Jamaica College for the scholarships awarded to several of our athletes, three of whom were medallists at the Games. Thanks too are in order for the leadership of the GC Foster College where some post- secondary students are located.”

Virgin Islands

Michelle Smith of the US Virgin Islands is being celebrated for her outstanding achievements at this year’s CARIFTA Games.

Smith won the gold medal in the U17 400m Hurdles in a time of 58.61. This performance established a new CARIFTA Games record, a VI National Junior record, and was also the world’s fastest time for 2022 for the U18 age category. The record time achieved by Smith was faster than the U20 competitors at the Games.

Michelle Smith, 15, is the first Virgin Islander to set a CARIFTA Games record.

Smith’s time qualifies her for the World Athletics U20 Championship which will be held in Cali, Columbia, 1 – 6 August 2022.

Michelle Smith is the 4th athlete to win a Gold Medal for the VI. The overall number of gold medals won by the VI is now five (5).