BASSETERRE, St. Kitts - NATIONAL Record Holder in the javelin throw Adrian Williams, is off to Trinidad and Tobago where he is expected to undergo a five-month training programme. He would be working alongside Olympic Javelin Champion Keshorn Walcott.
The 18-year-old is the current CARIFTA Bronze Medalist and holds the National Record at 68.41 meters in the event.
Speaking to the media before his departure, Williams commented on his expectations of working with Coach Ismael Lopez Mastrapa and 2012 Olympic Gold Medalist Keshorn Walcott.
“It will be a good experience. I threw against him one year and he is really good and to see him win an Olympic Gold that is a great achievement. I am looking forward to working with him and I hope some of his talent would rub off on me.”
He highlighted some of the goals he hopes to achieve while in Trinidad.
“I am only an amateur right now and I’m looking to go professional and I am looking to take it step by step and do my best and put in a good effort...once you put your mind to it and you love what you do, anything is possible.
“My main goal is to really reach the Olympics but, as I said [you have to take it] step by step, so my first goal is to make it to the CAC games and then the Commonwealth Games.”
Williams has also shown potential in the sprints (100m, 200m) but has mixed emotions on competing in both events.
“I still have not made up my mind as yet, but the javelin is taking me places and my legs are giving me some problems, so I will focus on that but will do a little 100 meters on the side.”
Lester Hanley, Executive Member of the St Kitts and Nevis Olympic Committee (SKNOC) expressed his pleasure at seeing Williams being granted the opportunity to train with such an astute club.
“For the SKNOC it is an opportunity to further Adrian’s training at an elite level. He is going off to work with coach of Olympian Keshorn Walcott which is a plus. We see him as one of the top junior and youth athletes, the athlete with the second most medals in junior and youth competitions following Tiandra Ponteen and we certainly look at it as an opportunity to take Adrian to the next level.”
He challenged Williams to put his best foot forward so other athletes can benefit from such an opportunity.
“Other athletes will benefit. We have programmes called the Olympic Solidarity Programme as well as local training programmes and we not only look forward to helping those athletes but we look forward to helping other athletes in other sports and developing grass roots and having them going off and developing their skills.”
President of the St. Kitts-Nevis Amateur Athletic Association (SKNAAA) Glenville Jeffers spoke of his delight at seeing Williams get such an opportunity and stated that his participation in the discipline is important to the Association as it seek to widen their competition pool.
“I am really proud that this opportunity has come about for this young man. Adrian has been excelling year after year in the javelin, an event that St. Kitts and Nevis is not known for internationally...but his participation in this event is really important to the SKNAAA. We have been informed by the SKNOC that we need to deepen our competition pool, not only in the sprints but to go in the other areas of track and field.”
“Once we heard the opportunity came about we wrote our proposal to the NOC. We were very happy to come on board to assist Adrian. I again am happy to really see that this is happening.”
President of the Nevis Amateur Athletic Association (NAAA), Lester Blackett sang Williams’ praises stating that the junior star should be used as an example for other junior athletes to follow.
“Adrian has been an example over the last four years in terms of his performance. He has been looked at not only by St. Kitts and Nevis but by the Caribbean and indeed the World.
“It sets a standard for others to follow that if you are determined and sure about what you want to do you can achieve it. It sets a great example for athletes. He competed against Keshorn Walcott who went on to become the Olympic Gold medalist and he will now be training with Walcott. We were able to contact the guys in Trinidad and were able to make the arrangements.
“The benefits are enormous. We expect him to qualify for things such as Commonwealth Games and in the future the Olympics.”
He also had a word of thanks for a number of individuals and organizations that were instrumental in making this a reality, including the Nevis Island Administration, the SKNOC, SKNAAA and NAAA.
Keshorn Walcott won the Olympic gold medal at the 2012 London Olympics with a throw of 84.58 meters and is also a three-time CARIFTA gold Medalist.
