Stakeholders ready for CARIFTA Games - Overseas teams will start arriving today

 Adrian Frater, News Editor

WESTERN BUREAU:

Stakeholders involved in this weekend's LIME-sponsored CARIFTA Games, which will be staged at the Montego Bay Sports Complex in Catherine Hall, St James, are declaring a state of readiness for the historic three-day junior athletics championship, which will unfold between Friday and Sunday.

"Things are steadily falling into place; the overseas athletes will start arriving on Wednesday (today) with the Bahamian team arriving at the Sangster International Airport at midnight," said Nicky Miller, of the North American, Central American and Caribbean Athletics Association, who is also secretary of the Local Organising Committee.

"We are expecting all the overseas teams to be here in Jamaica by Thursday afternoon," added Miller. "We are expecting things to fall in place smoothly for a smooth start come Friday morning."

With regard to the Montego Bay Sports Complex, which will be staging its first major international track and field event, meet director Ray Harvey, who is based in the western city, said he is satisfied with the stage of readiness and envisages no problems ahead of Friday morning's 9:30 start.

"We already have our track officials who will be working in this championship and we are now finalising final preparations at the stadium," stated Harvey. "In terms of equipment, which is coming in from Kingston, we are expecting that everything will be here by Wednesday afternoon (today)."

As far as the energy on the ground is concerned across western Jamaica for the prestigious championship, Harvey said he was generally happy with state of awareness and is hopeful that it will be transformed into solid spectator support inside the stadium.

high energy

"I am feeling a lot of energy on the ground and that is most encouraging," said Harvey, who is meet director and main organiser of western Jamaica's premier track classic, the popular Milo Western Relays. "I am expecting a lot of spectator support for this championship."

Regarding the Jamaica team, which topped last year's championship at the Truman Bodden Sports Complex in the Cayman Islands with 72 medals - 37 gold, 22 silver and 13 bronze - head of delegation, St Elizabeth Technical High School (STETHS) principal, Keith Wellington, is expecting a phenomenal performance.

"I am expecting all 70 Jamaican athletes to give of their very best based on the fact that they will be at home under familiar conditions," said Wellington. "To be frank, I am hoping that this team will win more medals, especially gold, than any other Jamaican team of the past."

The Jamaica team, which comprises 20 Under-20 boys, 19 Under-20 girls, 16 Under-17 boys and 15 Under-17 girls, are expected to assemble at STETHS during the day tomorrow and will move into the Games Village at the Grand Palladium Hotel in Hanover in the afternoon.

"As far as we know, all the athletes are ready and raring to go," added Wellington. "We will definitely be heading into the Games Village as a confident team."