Six college athletes off to FISU America Games in Lima

SIX college athletes left the island yesterday to participate in the fourth staging of the International University Sports Federation (FISU) America Games in Lima, Peru. The Games began on July 20 and will run until August 1.

Intercol Jamaica will only participate in track and field. These events will begin next week.

The athletes making the trip are Rasheed Foster (The Mico University College), Jace Witter (GC Foster College), Jeyando Daley (Shortwood Teachers’ College), Deandre Daley (University of the Commonwealth Caribbean), Mark Anthony Daley (Louisiana State University) and Dejaun Strachan (University of Technology).

Paul Beckford of GC Foster College is the head of delegation, Fiona Binns is the manager while Damion Stewart is the technical director.

Beckford, who is also vice principal of academics at GC Foster College, underlined the importance of the meet for collegiate athletes.

“This is part of our continuous effort to highlight the achievements of not only our student-athletes, but also our sponsors and those who organise and execute the intercollegiate activities,” he said.

According to Beckford, they had wanted to take more athletes but were unable to do so.

“The reduced number was due to the effects of the hurricane last October, which resulted in fewer institutions participating,” explained Beckford, who thanked the various sponsors who made the trip possible.