The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

YOU can now call it the 2013 BTC Carifta Games.

That’s because BTC has invested $175,000 to become the title sponsor for the biggest junior track and field competition that will take place at the new Thomas A Robinson Track and Field Stadium from March 28 to April 1.

Additionally, Marlon Johnson, BTC’s Senior Vice -President of Marketing and Communications, said they could end up spending another $50-60,000 in other in kind support to make the games the most exciting ever held.

On the heels of their commitment to sponsoring the 2012 Olympic Games and subsequently signing on a number of the elite athletes to promotional contracts, Johnson said while this is the biggest deal they have secured for a local entity, it’s just the beginning of bigger and better things to come.

“It is possibility the single highest contribution that we would have done for any event,” Johnson said. “But I think it speaks to what we believe is important with the Carifta Games. We believe it sets the example for other corporate Bahamas to come on board andc support these kind of efforts.”

BTC, according Johnson, will be providing the broadband support in and outside of the stadium, transportation to and from the games for athletes and officials and other logistics to make the games a success.

“In record time, we are looking to erect another tower near the standard to take in account what we anticipate the expanded overload at the stadium for the event and for events that will come after the event,” he said.

Johnson said like they did in securing a four-year deal with the Bahamas Olympic Committee, they will be announcing in short order a further commitment with the BAAA to support them in their furtherendeavors.

For Carifta, the Local Organizing Committee has set a budget of $1.2 million to cover the expenses of hosting the games. And both LOC chairman Basil Christie and BAAA’s president Mike Sands said they are well on their way in accomplishing their goal, especially with the significant contribution from BTC.

Christie said so far they have registered a total of 17 out of the 23 countries eligible for competition and they have more than 491 athletes and 160 officials. He said they have booked some 210 hotel rooms, but they are still in need of another 50 rooms as more and more persons are expressing their interest in coming here.

“Our marketing campaign has been outside,” he said. “As you know, everybody wants to come to the Bahamas and I’m happy to report that we are well on our way to putting on the greatest show in the Caribbean this year.”

Christie thanked BTC for their commitment to sponsoring the games, joining the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture, who has also made a huge financial contribution and is providing a lot of logistic support to the LOC.

Sands said with 50 days away or some 1,200 hours away from the opening of the games that the Bahamas will host for the seventh time since 1976, they have already gotten confirmation from a number of dignitaries around the world, including the Lamine Diack, the president of the IAAF, who attended Carifta for the first time when it was hosted here in 2002.

“It was at those games that he declared the Carifta Games as the best junior championships to be held in the world,” Sands said. “He also promised that because of the magnitude of the games, he will never miss another Carifta Games.”

The Carifta Games, according to Sands, has given birth to another of the top regional stars, including Jamaican Usain Bolt, who was coined “Lightning Bolt” by Bahamians when he last competed here in 2002.

Additionally, many of the Bahamian stars like the Golden Girls and the Golden Knights, have all passed through Carifta and the Bahamas has even produced winners of the Austin Sealy Most Outstanding Athlete of the games, including Maryann Higgs, Lavern Eve, Pauline Davis-Thompson, Devbbie Ferguson-McKenzie and Anthonique Strachan.

Sealy, the founder of the games, are expected to travel from his native island of Barbados, to be a part of the list of dignitaries.

Sands said the commitment from BTC will go a long way in helping them to defray their expenses and at the same time invest in the future generation of track and field stars. He thanked BTC for stepping forward with their financial commitment once again.