The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

North American, Central American and Caribbean (NACAC) President Mike Sands has confirmed that the 2021 CARIFTA Games has been moved from the traditional Easter holiday weekend until the summer.

The top junior regional track and field meet will remain in Bermuda, but is now set to be held from July 2-4. This comes on the heels of the cancellation of the 2020 games in Bermuda because of the spread of the coronavirus pandemic, which drastically affected sports worldwide.

Sands, a former public relations officer and a past president of the Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations, stated over the weekend that NACAC made the decision at a Council meeting on Thursday night.

The decision by NACAC, in consultation with the Bermuda National Athletics Association (BNAA), came as a result of the current challenges faced by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Time is running out, and the situation is not improving globally. The NACAC family, the CARIFTA family is affected,” Sands said.

“We took a decision at Council level to do a survey with membership to determine the best course of action. There were several options for a date change and we ultimately decided on July 2nd to 4th.”

Sands, however, said he’s optimistic, but cautiously optimistic that what eventually happens will be dictated by the turn of events.

“I’m confident the Games will go on,” he stressed. “I’m happy we’ve arrived at a point where we have definitive dates. This is the pre-eminent junior championship meet in the region, and arguably the world. I’m looking forward to continuing the legacy.” In a letter to Bermuda National Athletics Association (BNAA) president Donna Raynor on Friday, NACAC general secretary Keith Joseph officially informed the host country of the decision to shift the Carifta dates.

“The NACAC Council, at its meeting of Thursday 21 January 2021, unanimously approved the convening of the 49th edition of the annual Carifta Games in Bermuda during the period 2 – 4 July 2021, with arrival being on 30 June and departure on 5 July,” Joseph wrote.

“The NACAC Council also approved the retention of the existing Carifta Games programme of events as well as team quotas.”

After watching the cancellation of the games last year, Raynor said they were prepared had the decision been made to delay this year’s event.

“We created a position paper in which we stated that our preference was moving the Games to a later date. That first weekend in July is a good weekend for us,” Raynor stated.

“It fits in well with our calendar and our school system. School is out in July. It’s the perfect weekend, and the weather will be great in July, not as cold as in April.”

She further indicated that Covid-19 will dictate what happens, but from a preparation standpoint, the BNAA will be prepared.

“As long as Covid allows us, we will be ready to host the Games,” she summed up.

Joseph, in his letter to Raynor, said NACAC is mindful of the challenges with which Bermuda, their organization and all of the Caribbean member federations and their athletes are confronted with.

But he said they are also confident of their collective resolve to overcome them as they have so often done in the past with other obstacles.

“NACAC stands ready to work with the BNAA to ensure that Bermuda and all of the Carifta Family enjoy the benefit of another very successful edition of one of the world of athletics’ most exciting spectacles, the annual Carifta Games,” he concluded.

And Sands the change in date could and or should have a very positive effect in that the extra time would give the athletes and coaches extended preparation time and also room for additional competition leading up to the Carifta.

So far, just over 10 athletes have qualified for the games from the Bahamas. However, Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations’ president Drumeco Archer said they understood that a change was inevitable, considering that Bermuda and some other parts of the Caribbean are experiencing their third wave of the pandemic.

“We were expecting it and I always anticipated it being a summer event,” he said. “So I’m happy that we have more time, I’m happy that we can plan a little better.

:There have been some interruptions in our training programme, not just in the Bahamas, but throughout the Caribbean and so I think this was a welcome relief for everyone.”

With very few meets on their calendar this year because of the pandemic, Archer said they hope the conditions improve where they can have a successful event in July at the games.

We are preparing our athletes, but obviously there are a lot of adjustments that need to be made in the training cycles,” Archer said. “But coaches are aware and they are making the adjustments, so our athletes will be okay.”