BASSETERRE, St. Kitts, Mar. 14.2018- WITH the 2018 CARIFTA Games slated for later this month, the St. Kitts-Nevis Amateur Athletics Association (SKNAAA) is concerned that they might not be able to participate due to financial problems.
With the 2018 junior athletics meet slated for Nassau, Bahamas, there is a mounting cost associated with sending a team up north, as many of the athletes are not in possession of a United States visa.
According to President of the SKNAAA, Val Henry, the association has confirmed that 27 athletes have thus far qualified for the games ahead of this weekend’s trials, but it will cost approximately $200,000 to send a team of approximately 30 persons to the Bahamas.
He explained that because of the lack of visas they will likely have to stop over in Jamaica, which is going to run the cost up.
“We are at risk of not sending a team to CARIFTA. CARIFTA, especially when it is hosted in the northern part of the Caribbean is an expensive undertaking, not only for St. Kitts and Nevis.”
A similar problem is being faced by St. Lucia, Antigua and Barbuda, St. Martin and Anguilla, the President revealed.
“It means that some of us will have to go through Jamaica and overnight; some of my colleagues are flying down to St. Lucia and pick up a charter to go up to the Bahamas and that is a cost. And some of us have to take a direct charter from where we are to the Bahamas.”
He said that the cost facing the SKNAAA to send a charter with athletes and officials is in the vicinity of US$56,000.
That goes against the backdrop of the association still being in debt from the staging of the 2015 Carifta games.
“Since 2015 we are still struggling to pay the bills,” said Henry.
To this end, Henry stated that there is a benefit of attending the games, noting that there is a sacrifice for the athletes.
He reminded of Yohan Blake, Usain Bolt amongst others who have gone on to compete on the international stage.
