Online media source misleads public
BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – THE St. Kitts-Nevis Amateur Athletics Association (SKNAAA) on Thursday (Feb. 23) announced a three-member team to represent the Federation at the 14th Edition of the IAAF World Indoor Championships to be held in Istanbul, Turkey from March 9 to 11, 2012.
According to a press release from the association’s PRO, Evris Huggins, the three-member team comprises Tiandra Ponteen who would compete in the 400m event, Birjish Lawrence in the 60m dash and Stuart Joseph as Team Leader/Coach.
In addition to Ponteen and Lawrence, four other athletes had qualified to represent the nation at the Championships in Istanbul. They are Former World Champion Kim Collins, Antoine Adams, Marecia Pemberton and Tameka Williams.
However, according to international rules and regulations, only two athletes from any one country could compete in the same race. Therefore, one of the three qualified males would have been sidelined because all of them were eligible to compete in the 60m dash.
Contrary to what the self-proclaimed ‘Federation’s #1 social media news source’ published in a recent article, Huggins explained that “the prerequisites were not met by some of the athletes”.
In that article headlined “COLLINS, ADAMS, WILLIAMS AND PEMBERTON NOT IN SKN WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP TEAM”, the social media news source said, “In addition to Kim Collins other glaring omissions were Antoine Adams, Tameka Williams and Marecie Pemberton.
“The SKNAAA did not indicate whether Collins, Adams, Pemberton and Williams were available for selection or the rationale behind their ommission.
“Antoine Adams has been having one of the best debut seasons of any athlete in recent times having won the 60 m indoor sprint events at various meets throughout the European track circuit. Williams broke the national 60m record earlier in the year and, along with Adams and Kim Collins, easily passed the qualifying mark for entrance into the World track event.”
It further stated that “…it is unclear as to the reasons for the ommissions. However this comes on the heels of the recent controversy surrounding the SKNAAA’s decision to insert a clause in the contracts of the athletes demanding 20% share of the athletes' earnings to be paid to the SKNAAA”.
Additionally, it stated that inside sources suggested that the recent row over the athletes' contracts and a mandated 20% earnings demand clause may be at the heart of Collins, Adams, Pemberton and Williams’ omissions.
Huggins however refuted the allegations and explained that “two of the athletes cannot participate in the World Indoor Championships because it will clash with the annual National Collegiate Athletic Association Championships in which they are competitors”.
He reiterated that the prerequisites were not met by some of the athletes, noting that the requirements are “a qualifying performance in accordance with IAAF rules, acceptance of the SKNAAA Team Code of Conduct, and acceptance of the SKNAAA Team Contract”.
Huggins explained that although all of the athletes would have fulfilled two of the prerequisites, they did not sign the third one – acceptance of the SKNAAA Team Contract.
He also explained that it is among the SKNAAA’s Standing Orders to inform all athletes, sports clubs and coaches of the prerequisites of all major events long before their scheduled dates, and that the same was done for the 14th Edition of the IAAF World Indoor Championships since September 2011.
Huggins, however, on behalf of the SKNAAA, thanked Ponteen and Lawrence on their availability for selection and also for their continued support of athletics in St. Kitts and Nevis.
