This Week in NACAC: Jamaica Boys’ and Girls’ Champs 2022
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THIS WEEK IN NACAC
Vol. 3
No. 14
03 April 2022
Jamaica Boys’ and Girls’ Champs 2022
With the CARIFTA Games looming, just under two weeks away, Jamaican junior athletes will be in action this week in the annual Inter-secondary Schools Sports Association/GraceKennedy Boys’ and Girls’ Athletics Championships, popularly known as Boys’ and Girls’ Champs. This event is the country’s single largest track and field competition every year and its appeal continues to grow. Historically, performances have always been of such a very high standard that coaching scouts from the USA have made the event a fixture on their annual calendar. There is no country in the Caribbean that boasts more athletic scholarships annually, than Jamaica, with most of them being based on the competition at the Champs.
Reports coming out of Jamaica is that interest in the annual event is at an all-time high as it comes as the nation’s largest sport event since the dropping of most of the stringent health protocols that have been in place for the past year and a half. Importantly, the removal of the vaccination mandate for spectators allows for patrons to return to the national stadium, the veritable home of track and field champions.
In this year’s competition expectations are high for defending Girls’ Champion, Edwin Allen., to make its way to a seventh consecutive title, boasting a very powerful team. Rivals, Hydel, may just find the champions much too well prepared for the competition, even though the twins, tina and Tia Clayton, favourites for the 200m and the foundation of the 4 x 100m relay team, are opting out of the 200m this year.
Competition among the boys would also be very keen as Kingston College, which lost out to Jamaica College last year, seem set to get revenge this time around.
The annual Inter-secondary Schools Sports Association/GraceKennedy Boys’ and Girls’ Athletics Championships is the most watched track and field schools competition in the Caribbean.
Carifta 2022 Update
Member federations of the CARIFTA Family were treated to another Information Session via Zoom during the past week as the Local Organising Committee (LOC) enters its final days of preparation.
The ultimate deadline for registrations of participating teams have been set at midnight tomorrow, Monday 4 April. There will be no extensions.
The easing of the covid restrictions in Jamaica, especially the removal of the vaccination mandate sets the tone for a very well-supported edition of the Games. Additionally, the communications arm of the LOC, led by Carole Beckford, has ensure that all Jamaicans are aware of the Games and the significance of Jamaica being gracious hosts in the 60th year of the nation’s Independence.
The decision to return to the University of the West Indies Mona Campus as the Games Village is significant and evidence of the commitment of the JAAA and NACAC to ensure a more cost- effective edition of the event. The UWI was used as the competition village for the then IAAF World Junior Championships in 2002 which saw the international entrance of Usain Bolt, just 16 years old at the time, who easily cruised to victory in the 200m, for the first of several world titles. The LOC expects to have many school students at the Games given that many will be recipients of entrance tickets sponsored by Jamaican businesses.
Registration statistics already reveal a high level of attendance by delegations of CARIFTA Family members.
Communications Workshop at CARIFTA 2022
NACAC has agreed the hosting of a Communications Workshop for leaders of CARIFTA Family member federations and/or their representatives during the Carifta Games in Jamaica.
On Friday, 15 April, Jackie Brock-Doyle, Executive Director of World Athletics’ Communications Department will lead her team of presenters during the Workshop.
The Workshop will run for two hours, 4.00 – 6.00pm (JA Time) and address strategy, planning, campaigning, social media and crisis communications.
NACAC is anticipating much interest in the workshop and looks forward to the benefits that would accrue therefrom.
Around NACAC
Bahamas
The governing body for the sport of athletics in the Bahamas, Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations (BAAA) conducted its CARIFTA Trials over the weekend.
The competition saw athletes vying to make the national representative team where they will, once more, strive to match strides with the best of junior athletes from around the Caribbean.
Historically strong, The Bahamians are hoping for a good showing, especially as the BAAA has submitted the only bid for the 50th edition of the CARIFTA Games set for 2024.
The Bahamian delegation comprises 71 members. The athletes are led by Javelin Thrower, Keyshawn Strachan, who has already thrown 78m this year.
Belize
Deon Sutherland survived a strong challenge from Cojac Smith to retain the presidency of the Belize Athletics Association for another term.
Sutherland garnered 18 votes as against 13 received by Smith. The full Executive reads:
Deon Sutherland, President
Jaheed Smith, 1st Vice President
Tricia Flores, 2nd Vice President
Harry Pilgrim, General Secretary
Tiffara Jones, Ass’t General Secretary
Orville Melendrez, Treasurer
Ashantie Carr, Public Relations Officer
Andrew Pilgrim, Committee Member
Shelmadine Carr, Committee Member
Alvin Tillett, Committee Member
Guadeloupe
The Guadeloupe Olympic Committee convened its official Seminar of the Chiefs of Mission of the respective delegations to the inaugural Caribbean Games scheduled for the French Territory, 29 June – 3 July 2022.
Several of the Chiefs of Mission came from athletics.
Part of the Seminar was a visit to the venues which saw the athletics track at Baie Mahault, where several One-Day athletics competition have been held over the years.
Guadeloupe is the home of Marie Jose Perec, who achieved the same feat as Michael Johnson, winning both the 400m and 200m, at the Centennial Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, in 1996.
NACAC has appointed Esther Maynard of Barbados as its Technical Delegate for the Games. She paid an official visit to observe the facilities at Baie Mahault in January and has been in communication with both the Organising Committee and the Athletics Federation since.
ISV
The Virgin Islands Track and Field Federation has named its national representative team to the 49th CARIFTA Track & Field Championships to be held in Kingston, Jamaica, over the Easter weekend.
Michelle Smith will compete in the 100m, 400mH and the 800m. Akyra Joseph will run the 100m and 200m in the same category while Kirra Lambert, also in the same age grouping, will contest the 1500m and 3000m. Her standing in Virgin Islands athletics already distinguishes her and much is expected of her at what would be her first CARIFTA Games.
On the male side, Raynier Charlery and Rahyim George will both compete in the U20 100m and 200m.
This year’s Virgin Islands team follows in the footsteps of Iyiechia Petrus, who won the first V.I. medal, a bronze, in the 400m (57.36) in Kingston, Jamaica 1982. Petrus went on to win a total of six CARIFTA Games medals in her career.
Funding for the team was provided in the form of competition grants from the Virgin Islands Olympic Committee and the Virgin Islands Track and Field Federation.
Nicaragua
The Nicaraguan Athletics Federation and the government of Nicaragua, fresh from hosting the successful CADICA and later, NACAC Age Group Championships in the latter part of 2021, have expressed their immense joy at having been awarded the rights of hosts the XXXII Central American Championship of Athletics, 1 – 2 July 2022.
Already, NACAC Director of Competitions, Michael Serralta, has communicated the list of international officials who will oversee the competition.
The Technical Delegate is Ruben Quintanilla (El Salvador). The International Race Walking Judges are David O. Dominguez, Carlos Barrios (Guatemala). Patricia Hannah, Rolando Abrego (El Salvador) and Wendy Vargas (Costa Rica).
The designated International Area Technical Officials are John E. Sierra (Puerto Rico). And Faustino Heredia (Cuba).
St Vincent and the Grenadines
Fresh from both the CARIFTA Trials and National Junior Championships, athletes from St Vincent and the Grenadines will contest for schools’ championships honours this week with the Ministries of Sport and of Education in collaboration with Team Athletics St Vincent and the Grenadines (TASVG) hosts the finals of the Annual Inter Primary Schools Athletics Championships (IPSAC) and the Inter Secondary Schools Athletics Championships (ISSAC), 7 and 8 April 2022, respectively, at the newly constructed national stadium.
Stephanie Brown Primary School heads the IPSAC entrants while the Central Leeward Secondary School (CLSS) leads the ISSAC schools in both the male and female categories.
The majority of the athletes who have already made the CSRIFTA standards set by TASVG will be in action on 8 April.
MF Annual Reports deadline extended to 8 April
Member Federations that have, for one reason or another failed to meet the World Athletics deadline of 31 March 2002 for submission of their Annual Reports, have been given a brief reprieve.
World Athletics has extended the deadline to 8 April.
REMINDER! REMINDER! REMINDER! REMINDER!
She Runs – She Leads Webinar Series
The first in the World Athletics She Leads Series of webinars took place on 30 March.
NACAC joins World Athletics in inviting member federations to be part of the remaining segments in the interesting and informative webinar series held under the theme, She Runs – She Leads.
Gabriela Mueller Mendoza, one of the most well-known empowering voices in coaching and training in the world of sports, will deliver game-changer experiences that inspire change, challenge thinking, encourage self-empowerment and growth.
Register to join the She Runs-She Leads Series:
7 July 2022: Personal brand/image
27 October 2022: Stakeholder Management and Influence Skills
Keith Joseph
P.O. Box 680, Kingstown, St Vincent and the Grenadines
Tel: (784) 457 9062 (H); (784) 457 2970 (O)
