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Posted: Wednesday 3 February, 2010 at 9:24 AM

Intense training called for by SKNAAA official

SKNAAA Public Relations Officer Evris Huggins
By: Ryan Haas, SKNVibes.com

    BASSETERRE, St. Kitts-AS the first major track and field competitions of the year are slated to begin in March, the St. Kitts-Nevis Amateur Athletics Association (SKNAAA) has called upon the Federation’s athletes to fully dedicate themselves to their training in the coming weeks.

     

    The 2010 track and field season suffered a setback in the month of January due to the holding of federal elections forcing the SKNAAA to cancel all of its development meets that had been scheduled during the latter part of the month.

     

    However, speaking to SKNVibes, SKNAAA Public Relations Officer Evris Huggins said that the cancelation of those meets was no reason for the Federation’s athletes to be unprepared for the National Junior Championships & Carifta Trials or the TDC/Coca Cola Interschool Championships, both of which are scheduled to take place in March.

     

    “The onus is on the athletes really, and the coach. Yes, to some extent the association has its role to play in ensuring that the adequate resources are there, but it is the athletes who have to be performing to the best of their abilities,” he said.

     

    He noted that the three scheduled development meets in the month of February, the first of which is on Saturday (Feb. 6), would all be held at the Silver Jubilee Anniversary Stadium “to better prepare the athletes”.

     

    The SKNAAA has been greatly revamped in the past six months, having adopted a new constitution and elected a new executive committee to oversee the sport’s affairs. Huggins said that the nation’s athletes are expected to reflect these changes as well, as the SKNAAA strives toward even greater heights of professionalism.

     

    “The month of February would be a testing ground so we can see the athletes we should be looking forward to for those upcoming meets.

     

    “One of the things that I would like to see happen is athletes working toward achieving their qualifying marks. The association has agreed that we are not going to move in that direction where people are going to be making a team just to make up numbers. You have to earn your keep,” the PRO stated.

     

    When asked if the truncated pre-season would affect the athletes’ ability to make their qualifying standards, Huggins said he did not believe so.

     

    “The association would provide the facilities to train and the schedule to host the various events, but the onus is really on the athletes. We believe that four development meets leading up to the first major meet is ample time for an athlete to be competitive.”

     

    Apart from the junior athletes preparing for the local championships in March and April’s Carifta Games in the Cayman Islands, Huggins said that the nation’s senior athletes should make use of February’s development meets.

     

    “We tend to find a huge drop off coming up to the senior level and we are trying to encourage as much as possible the athletes 20 and over to participate because there are opportunities out there.”

     

    He noted that the SKNAAA has systems in place to provide support to any senior athlete that obtains the qualifying standards for regional and international competitions.

     

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