Sheckema Cunningham, Jamaica’s karate athlete at the Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Games in Barranquilla, Colombia, was left devastated yesterday by news that her wildcard invitation was long withdrawn by the World Karate Federation (WKF).

“We were told the wildcard was conditional and had in fact been withdrawn by the WKF from July 10. However, when Jamaica Olympic Association (JOA) officials attended the final meeting on July 15, her name was still on the list,” said Cunningham’s coach, Jason McKay.

“This information was not sent to the organising committee of the JOA or organisers of the CAC Games by the World Karate Federation,” McKay said, adding that the decision was being protested by Jamaica.

“This error had nothing to do with the JOA or the athlete’s management. This is coming from the WKF,” he pointed out.

“First, it was Kenneth Edwards, who was in training and even went to Curacao to compete, only to learn that the spot was for a female. Now this has happened to Sheckema, who started training after Kenneth’s disappointment, a month before the Games,” McKay said, referring to an initial mix-up involving the wildcard spot on offer.

Cunningham, who was upbeat about representing Jamaica and possibly medalling for a spot to qualify for next year’s Pan-Am Championships — at which she would have been in contention to advance to the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo — was too distraught to speak.

Meanwhile, Jamaica’s Reggae Girlz failed to advance to the medals round despite defeating Colombia 2-1 on Monday night. The Jamaicans finished tied on three points with Colombia and Venezuela behind Costa Rica, who ended with a perfect nine points.

Chinyelu Asher and Jody Brown were on target for Jamaica.

In women’s field hockey, Jamaica went down 0-1 to Trinidad and Tobago yesterday via a Shaniah de Freitas 34th-minute strike to finish third in Pool B on three points behind Trinidad and Tobago with nine, followed by Barbados, who defeated Guatemala 1-0 yesterday, on six points.

Mexico topped Pool A with nine points.

Jamaica will now face fourth-placed team Guyana from Pool A in the cross-zone play-offs tomorrow at 11:30 am.

In women’s basketball fifth-place play-off, Jamaica lost 61-76 to the US Virgin Islands. Tashawna Higgins scored 19 points and was supported by Ashalee Gordon with 14 and Sasha Dixon and Ladonna Lamonth with nine each.

Higgins also pulled down nine rebounds and supported with four assists.

The US Virgin Islands led 25-17 after the first quarter; 46-26 at half-time and 60-43 at the end of the third quarter.

Jamaica also suffered mixed results in squash in Cali, losing 0-3 to the hosts Colombia in the morning, then dishing out a 3-0 victory over Panama last evening. They will face Guyana this morning, but has already qualified for the quarter-finals.