Javascript Menu by Deluxe-Menu.com

SKNBuzz Radio - Strictly Local Music Toon Center
My Account | Contact Us  

Our Partner For Official online store of the Phoenix Suns Jerseys

 Home  >  Headlines  >  SPORTS
Posted: Monday 25 January, 2021 at 9:35 AM

CARIFTA Games 2021 pushed back to July

By: Staff Reporter, SKNVibes.com

    BASSETERRE, St. Kitts - CAUTIOUS but optimistic were the words used by the President of the North American, Central American and Caribbean Athletic Association (NACAC), Mike Sands, to describe the staging of the now delayed 2021 CARIFTA Games slated for Hamilton, Bermuda.

     

    Scheduled annually for the Easter weekend, the premier regional meet has been pushed back by three months to July 2-4 in the same location.

     

    That comes as the zonal body is seeking to work out the logistics to stage the event during the challenges posed by the ongoing global pandemic.

     

    In a media statement, NACAC’s President explained that the “time is running out, and the situation is not improving globally. The NACAC family, the Carifta family is affected. We took a decision at Council level to do a survey with membership to determine the best course of action. There were several options for a date change, and we ultimately decided on July 2nd to 4th”.

     

    Speaking with regional journalist Michael Bascombe and others on a link-up, Sands explained that in that survey several questions were posed, including if the Meet were to be postponed what would be the preferential timeline to staging the event.

     

    Given several options, Sands revealed that the unanimous decision was to stage it in July.
     
    Additionally, there were considerations on whether to make any variation to the event to either limit the number of participants or change the standards. Sands however noted that overwhelming support was given to maintaining all standards for participation and quota for 2021.

     

    “So, the membership has voiced their opinion and that is the position of the membership that we have put to the public. I am cautiously optimistic that the CARIFTA Games will go on,” added Sands.

     

    Bermuda was scheduled to host the event in 2020 but the pandemic forced the postponement, meaning that the 2021 host nation, Guyana, would now stage the mega event in 2022.

     

    With that being the case and the postponement, the rescheduled date was welcomed by the President of the Bermuda National Athletics Association (BNAA), Donna Raynor, who, according to the statement, has agreed that the “first weekend in July is a good weekend for us”.

     


    “It fits in well with our calendar and our school system. School is out in July. It’s the perfect weekend, and the weather will be great in July, not as cold as in April. COVID is going to dictate what happens,” Raynor added.

     

    With regards to COVID-19 protocols for the athletes attending the Games, Sands pointed out that the BNAA President is currently in discussions with the Bermuda Government to determine the best solutions to minimise quarantine.
     
    “While we may have our wish list, our wish list will not and cannot supersede the health authorities in the respective jurisdictions. In the survey we also asked questions about quarantine, and about coming in and out of the respective countries...We are building a lot of would- if scenarios because of the athletes go in and they have to be tested right then and there and by chance, if they have the COVID what are the next steps,” noted Sands.
     

     

     

Copyright © 2024 SKNVibes, Inc. All rights reserved.
Privacy Policy   Terms of Service