PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad – THE highly anticipated 52nd CARIFTA Games officially opened yesterday (April 18), with regional leaders reaffirming their commitment to the development of young Caribbean athletes.
For the first time, both the swimming and track and field championships are being hosted simultaneously in the same country — Trinidad and Tobago — attracting top scholastic athletes from across the region.
The spotlight is on the Hasely Crawford Stadium, the venue for the track and field events. During the official opening ceremony, Trinidad and Tobago’s Acting Prime Minister, Stuart Young, pledged his country’s continued support for young athletes across the Caribbean.
“I want to assure all of CARICOM that Trinidad and Tobago stands ready to continue our commitment to all our young athletes as they rise through the ranks, not just here, but across the entire CARICOM region,” Young said.
He emphasized the vital role sports play in shaping societies, particularly in a region where many young people are vulnerable to crime and violence.
“I know personally the value of what sports bring,” Young told the crowd, addressing parents and supporters in attendance.
President of the North American, Central American and Caribbean Athletic Association (NACAC), Mike Sands, also appealed for greater corporate involvement in youth sports.
“I make an urgent plea to NACAC and, indeed, to all our regional governments to provide the invaluable support that is so desperately needed,” he said, noting the ongoing challenges faced by athletes across the region.
International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) President and International Olympic Committee (IOC) member Lord Sebastian Coe — a regular at the CARIFTA Games — praised the Caribbean for maintaining the event, describing it as the world’s premier junior athletics competition.
“This, in athletics, is the most important junior competition in the world,” Coe stated.
Competition began early Friday morning, with several standout performances. Among them was De’Cheynelle Thomas, who placed second in Heat Two of the Girls’ Under-17 400m, clocking 56.72 seconds. Jamaica’s Shameika McLean won the heat with a time of 54.66 seconds.
Thomas is set to compete in the finals later this evening.
