The Tribune

by RENALDO DORSETT

Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

An initiative by the BAAAs to identify CARIFTA hopefuls, the Carifta Talent search has already begun to yield dividends according to its organisers.

Led by long-time coach and veteran Keith Parker and five-time Olympian, CAC Champion Lavern Eve. The aim is to test the arms of athletes and to observe their techniques.

“We are having some success with the Carifta search, we got a lot of softball players out throwing the softball and there is a young guy he threw 79 meters with the softball, 79 meters throwing anything is a big throw and has been out with Laverne a couple of times and we have high hopes for them,” Parker said.

“I have also been in touch with the Hugh Campell Basketball Tourmanament people. You know we have the top high jumper in the world, he is a Bahamian - Ryan Inragaham. Well, we are trying to go down to AF Adderley get a mat out there before they start the basketball game, just let Ryan give a little demo and say ‘Do any of you guys want to try it?’

“Because Donald Thomas, our world champion, was a basketball player that just went out because his fellow college basketball teammate said ‘man you could jump higher than our guy’ and he did - first time out he jumped seven feet and he was world champion in about three years.”

The search begins at the High School National Relays, with the baseball and softball throws at the National Stadium.

“We have all this talent, we just need to find them,” said Bahamian throwing icon Bradley Cooper,

“We want to go out to other sports to look for long distance runners. Swimmers and soccer players would be ideal for this, tennis players too. If you think of a guy with a big serve, if you think you can serve 110 mph, come out to one of the throwing events and see how you do.

“Carifta being held here in the Bahamas is a great opportunity for our young people and we hope that it will stimulate them enough to come out.

“They have seen the Olympics but seeing a competition of this nature home, is generating a lot of interest from the younger kids, especially the junior high kids.”

Laverne Eve implored more coaches to allow their athletes in other sporting disciplines to tryout.

“I would say with Carifta being here it is the perfect oppirtunity for many of our youth. I mean that is where I started, I started with Carifta, I enjoyed Carifta very much,” Eve said.

“The coaches need to let the kids now they can go further in track and field. So I encourage the coaches to let the kids know and bring the kids out. Let us know we have someone you can use.”