After being cancelled for two consecutive years, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 49th CARIFTA Games is scheduled to take place in early April, with Jamaica stepping up, at short notice, to host one of the biggest youth competitions of the year.
The three-day competition last took place in 2019 at the Truman Bodden Sports Complex in George Town, where Cayman, as host, welcomed hundreds of athletes from across the region.
Cayman Islands Athletic Association president Delroy Murray told the Cayman Compass in a recent interview that he is pleased to see the youth championship given the green light by North American, Central American and Caribbean Athletics Association officials.
“It appears to me that Jamaica is moving in the right direction, [and] is taking all the necessary steps,” Murray said. “So, I am very hopeful that we will have CARIFTA Games this year, unless, of course, we have another variant, which will throw everything out the window.”
Bermuda was set to host the games in both 2020 and 2021. The April 2020 games were postponed to August 2021 amid the COVID-19 pandemic, and the 2021 games were then cancelled as COVID-19 regulations in Bermuda required 14 days of quarantine for unvaccinated visitors, making it impractical for those taking part in under-17 events to participate.
Guyana was next up to organise the games this year, but eventually backed out of the responsibility due to the pandemic, after which Jamaica stepped up to be the host.
Speaking with the Jamaica Observer, NACAC president Mike Sands said, “We are pleased and happy that Jamaica has taken up the challenge. We have less than 100 days to go and it’s exciting to know that the Games will return.”
The CARIFTA Games have been used as a track to success for athletes like Usain Bolt, and Cayman Olympians Kemar Hyman, Cydonie Mothersill and Ronald Forbes, among others.
Ten athletes from Cayman had qualified to compete in the cancelled 2021 games.
So far, one athlete – Davonte Howell in the 200-metre sprint – has qualified for the 2022 games, but there will be a number of opportunities for others to make the cut in the coming months.
Despite the lack of testing competition over the past two years for Cayman’s junior athletes, Murray believes three key sprinters are likely to make an impact on the games in April.
“Davonte Howell comes to mind, Aaliyannah Anderson, and there’s the youngster Jaiden Reid,” Murray told the Compass. “We will be competitive, or should be competitive, at this year’s CARIFTA games.”
The 2022 CARIFTA Games are set to take place from 16-20 April.
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