Nine from club already selected for CARIFTA Games
WITH one month to go for the staging of the 2018 CARIFTA Games in the Bahamas, athletes from Rocket Athletic Club are keeping their fingers crossed as to whether they will make the Saint Lucia team.
The event is one of the Caribbean’s premier track and field championships and is dubbed “The Caribbean Mini Olympics”.
The technical team of the Saint Lucia Athletic Association (SLAA) is continuing its preparation before making its final team selection from a combined field of 37 athletes currently in training.
Without a doubt leading Saint Lucia’s charge will be Julien Alfred. She will be returning to the same venue where she won gold in the 100 metres at the Commonwealth Youth Games last year.
The VOICE spoke to Head Coach of Rockets Athletics Club, Martial Charlery, and this is what he had to say, “Thus far we have nine athletes who have been short listed by the SLAA. We have Miguel Charlery, Devon Alexander, Peter Lansiquot, Asa Donnelly, Ange Fontenelle, KamillahMonroque, Garvin Inglis and Shania Glasgow in Saint Lucia, and Tyrese Paul who is currently on scholarship in Jamaica”
He said, “This year the athletes have been constantly improving, I do not want to say categorically they will make the team heading to the Bahamas, the important thing – based on performance they have been shortlisted. Their chances are as good as anyone else on the SLAA watch list”.
There has been quite a bit of competition due to the various schools staging their respective inter house sports meet ahead of the Inter Secondary Schools championship qualifiers and finals slated for later this month.
“I am pleased with the respective performances the athletes have given so far regardless they make the team or not. With the assistance of coach Cuthbert Popo, they will continue to develop,” noted Charlery.
In terms of returning athletes, two years ago Tyrese Paul and KamillahMonroque made the Carifta Team; the likes of Miguel Charlery have also represented Saint Lucia at a number of regional events.
Charlery said, “This is the biggest number we have had, and it feels good, it shows that the work we are doing is paying dividends. So when your athletes, based on performances, have been called to trials, it is something to be proud of ”.
Meanwhile, the Bahamas first hosted the CARIFTA Games in 1976 in Nassau. Two years after that in 1978, the Games returned to the nation’s capital. The Bahamas hosted the prestigious event twice in the 80s (1981 and 1984). After awhile, the games came back to The Bahamas in 1992 and then 10 years later in 2002. The games were last held in New Providence in 2013.
