The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

FROM media coverage, to logistics, to the format of the games themselves, a myriad of issues surrounded the Bahamas’ hosting of the 2013 BTC CARIFTA Games, causing some major changes for the meet moving forward to Martinique in 2014.

One Bahamian media outlet was criticised for their regional courage, while the local organising committee came under fire for their media management, prompting negative portrayals from several journalists throughout the region.

At the CARIFTA Congress, held concurrently with this year’s meet at the Breezes hotel, the French island of Martinique was voted as the next host.

Major changes were voted in for the 43rd edition, including an 11-8 vote to increase the number of maximum team members per country from 70 to 80.

The CARIFTA Games will experience a change in age limitations, which was adjusted from under-17 to under-18 in the same format of the Central America and Caribbean (CAC) Championships.

Currently at CARIFTA, in the U-20 boys’ division, a 16-year-old would have been asked to throw a 1.75k discus, 6k shot put, 800g javelin and jump 0.99m/110m hurdles. The change will be made to use the designated weights used At CAC and World Youth where the following will be used: 1.50k discus, 5k shot put, 700g javelin, 0.91 110m hurdles.

Another change will come in the 300m hurdles for under-17 girls and they will now run the 400mH.

The open girls’ pentathlon will become a heptathlon while the open boys’ heptathlon will be changed to an octathlon.

On the criticisms that he heard, Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture Dr Daniel Johnson also went on the record to say that while there were some glitches with “the tickets, the accreditation and with the media accommodations in the stadium,” he apologised to all involved.

“As we move ahead, a lot of these problems that we encountered, you won’t see them happening again,” he said.

“I want to say to all of our brothers and sisters, who came from the 25 different countries throughout the Caribbean and all those who were visiting from the United States and elsewhere, we are sorry for the simple little things that didn’t go as planned.

“We take full responsibility for all that went wrong. We are getting ready for big things,” he said. “We will fix everything that went wrong and make sure that those problems will not occur again.”

Johnson said the games will be used as a test for the upcoming Chris Brown Invitational this weekend, the exhibition match between Tottenham Hotspur soccer club and the Jamaican national football team, Reggae Boyz, on May 23 and the IAAF World Relays that is expected to come back-to-back in 2014 and 2015.

“Much needs to be done in our country for our beloved sport to grow as we wish and adequate financing is one of our foremost needs. The tradition of the Bahamas’ hosting of athletic events, especially CARIFTA, has allowed us to be able to host our seventh this year and the IAAF awarding us next year’s inaugural World Relay Championships,” said BAAA president Mike Sands.

“We wish you to get the vision of your involvement in the inaugural World Relay Championships in May of 2014. At these CARIFTA Games there were 25 visiting countries attending. Next year there will be an estimated 150 visiting teams from every corner of the world.”