The Tribune

By PAVEL BAILEY

After CARIFTA trials were disrupted last weekend by COVID-19 officers, Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture Mario Bowleg said he fully supports athletes’ ongoing training efforts and that continued safety protocols will be enforced at future trials.

On Saturday, the Star Performers Time Trials Meet at the Thompson A Robinson Stadium was interrupted by COVID-19 officers. This incident involved COVID authorities citing event organisers for having 2,500 people attending the event when in reality there were only 200 registered competitors with no spectators in the stands, according to Tribune Sports.

 The minister wanted to clarify that while this incident was a result of miscommunication, the matter was resolved for this and future meets, as he sees the trials as essential preparation for the upcoming CARIFTA games. The event on Saturday was allowed to go on.

 “At the end of the day the meet continued on and there were athletes who competed and who qualified. In order for us to prepare our CARIFTA team we need to ensure that we have great keen competition taking place between now and over the next four weeks prior to us going to CARIFTA whether it’s swimming or track and field,” he said.

 He explained that proper COVID safety protocols were enforced for the event and that he intends to continue to support future trials to bolster our athletes’ performance at CARIFTA.

 “These are outdoor events, and these are not full contact sports and so again I do support the initiative and the reason for these events taking place. Protocols were kept, they took their negative COVID tests, who (was) vaccinated or not and so at the end of the day there was some miscommunication on what was really happening out there. It was a time qualifier and there are a few more that have to be taking place and we must do that. Other than that, we are just going to waste money and time taking a team to represent us at the CARIFTA level who is not prepared.”

 He also said: “Some of these athletes have been out of commission for two years and so in order to get them prepared we must have time trial events that will prepare these athletes. “And I fully support all of my trial athletes and the swimmers and the water polo who are preparing now for CARIFTA because I would like to see us become CARIFTA champions when we leave here to go to Jamaica and Barbados in the next few weeks.”