MoBay Complex to host CARIFTA Games

BY PAUL A REID Observer Writer reidp@jamaicaobserver.com

Friday, February 04, 2011

THE 2011 staging of the CARIFTA Games, the premier junior track and field event in the Caribbean, appears to have been saved after it was announced yesterday that it will be held at the Montego Bay Sports Complex at Catherine Hall between April 23-25.

Jamaica last hosted the event in 1996 and has been the venue five other times -- 1974, 1979, 1982, 1988 and 1990.

The meet will be held at the same venue that will co-host the CONCACAF Under-17 Qualifiers set to start on February 14 and will host all matches from the second round to the final.

The announcement came after months of speculations and after at least two other territories -- Bahamas and Turks & Caicos Islands -- turned down the request to host the three-day event, traditionally held over the Easter weekend.

The announcement came from the Board of the North American Central America and Caribbean (NACAC) track and field association headed by Jamaica's Neville 'Teddy' McCook.

Calls to McCook's phone went unanswered yesterday, but the Observer learnt he is off the island.

Meanwhile, Howard Aris, president of the Jamaica Amateur Athletics Association (JAAA), declined to comment on the release and said he would wait until the NACAC boss was back in the island.

According to the release, "NACAC reports that these arrangements were made possible through the co-operation and approval of the Jamaica Amateur Athletic Association (JAAA) despite their earlier concern of the event's proximity to the very popular Jamaica International Invitational (JII)."

A Local Organising Committee (LOC), which will plan and execute aspects of the Games, is currently being formulated to include business leaders and members of the track and field community from Montego Bay, and will shortly be introduced at a press conference, the release also said.

In an interview with the Observer last year, Aris said Jamaica would be unable to host the event as it would prove too much for his organisation.

The JII meet is held on the first Saturday in May and is set for May 7 this year and Aris said trying to plan and organise both meets at the same time would be a challenge for the JAAA.

There were concerns the meet would be cancelled for the first time in its 40-year history after St Kitts withdrew late last year.

Discussions were also held with the Bahamas and Turks and Caicos, but both turned down the opportunity.

The event has been the first international exposure for junior Caribbean athletes since 1972 and has produced stars such as double world record-holder Usain Bolt; two-time Olympic champion Veronica Campbell Brown; Ato Boldon and new stars such as three-time world champion Dexter Lee, Jehue Gordon of Trinidad and Tobago and Grenada's Kirani James.

Bermuda is down to host the event in 2012, while the Bahamas has bid to host the IAAF World Youth Championships in 2013.

Eleven different countries have hosted the championships.

A view of the Grandstand section of the Montego Bay Sports Complex situated at Catherine Hall. (Photo: Paul Reid)

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MoBay Complex to host CARIFTA Games