The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

WHILE the Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations (BAAA) will be keeping the precedent set last year where only those athletes who qualify will travel, the management team say they are confident that the BTC Bahamas CARIFTA team will bring back more than 31 medals from the CARIFTA Games in Grenada next month.

BAAA assistant treasurer Mildfred Adderley, who will travel as the team’s manager, said she’s not only excited to serve in her capacity on the team, but she’s looking forward to great expectations from the athletes and the results that they will accomplish at the biggest junior regional games.

Following the final BTC CARIFTA Trials set for March 11-12 at the Thomas A Robinson Track and Field Stadium, the BAAA will select the BTC CARIFTA team on Sunday, March 13, and they will travel to Grenada on Thursday, March 24 and return on Tuesday, March 29.

“We are expecting a sizeable team,” Adderley said. “At this time, we have a number of athletes who have qualified, but as you know, because you qualified doesn’t mean that you will be on the team because in some areas, you may have so many young athletes attaining the qualifying standards. So that decision will have to be discussed and reviewed by the appropriate body.

“We are looking for more qualifications during the Dianne Lynn Thompson Classic that will be held this weekend as well as the upcoming CARIFTA Trials and we are also looking forward to qualification standards from some of our college athletes. As you know, most of them will be wrapping up their indoors now and so we are looking for them to know the qualifying standards very soon for their events.”

Adderley noted that already there are a number of qualifiers in field events, such as the shot put as well as the high jump.

“I’m excited when we have qualifiers in those events that tend to get overlooked,” she said. “So I’m very excited and I’m looking forward to working with coach Collie. I’m sure he is well capable and well able to lead this team. This is a large team, this will be a very energetic team, but we plan to go over there and bring home more than the 31 medals we got last year, definitely more than eight gold.”

As the precedent is already set from last year, Adderley said they are encouraging the athletes to ensure they attain the qualifying standards in order to be considered for selection to the BTC CARIFTA team.

“I must say the coaches are doing a very good job in working with their athletes,” she said. “Kudos to our Bahamian coaches who are working with our young athletes.”

While the remaining members of the management team and the coaching staff is not yet completed, Collie said they are looking on improving last year’s performance and he’s hoping that the under-20 boys division will be the leaders of the pack with Grand Bahamian Javan Martin being one of the top contenders in the sprints, along with Keanu Pennerman, who is expected to return from school at Purdue University.

On the girls’ side, Charisma Taylor has been mentioned as the athlete to watch and even a possibility of being in a position to earn the Austin Sealy Award as he most outstanding athlete at the games.

BAAA president Rosamunde Carey said that they are anticipating a large amount of parents and supporters travelling with the team. Persons, according to Carey, can assist the BAAA and Team Bahamas by attending the BTC final trials and patronising the steak-out that will be held on the final day on Saturday, March 12. There will also be a bouncing castle for the children.

As for those persons wishing to make the trip on the Bahamasair charter flight to Grenada, BAAA treasurer Sharon Gardiner is advising them to contact the BAAA office as soon as possible as there are not that many seats left. The airfare is $810 per person.