Antigua and Barbuda to be represented in multiple disciplines at ALBA games

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By Neto Baptiste

A 22-member team inclusive of 17 athletes left Antigua and Barbuda for Venezuela this week where they will participate in the fifth Sports Games of the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America or ALBA games in which Russian athletes will participate as special guests from April 21-29. 

The delegation, headed by Director of Sports and former national sprinter, Heather Samuel-Daley, covers track and field, billiards, domino, and fencing. Daley is assisted by former national netballer and basketball player, Candace Jones.

Daley is hoping for good all-round performances from the athletes.

“For some of them, it’s their first time competing as a national team outside of Antigua and so I am sure they are very excited and looking forward to the competition. We expect them to just go out there and perform like how they know how to perform, and be of their best. The competition might be steep since we have the likes of Cuba here, but I expect the athletes to go out and perform to their best,” she said.

The games will be held in Caracas, La Guaira and Miranda and will bring together more than 3,000 athletes from Venezuela, Cuba, Bolivia, Nicaragua, Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and Saint Lucia.

Athletes will compete in 33 disciplines including chess, athletics, basketball, baseball, billiards, skating, cycling, fencing, dominoes and football. About 30 facilities are being used for these games.

Daley noted the absence of both basketball and volleyball teams from the Antigua and Barbuda contingent.

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The country’s athletes and officials left earlier this week for Venezuela where they will compete at the ALBA games

“Basketball had indicated early that they would not field a team so they are not here and volleyball, however, had made a late submission and when we sent the information down to Caracas, the report came back that they were unable to accommodate volleyball, so that’s the situation with those two teams. It is quite unfortunate but I am hoping that the next time around, if there is a next time around, that we can field more teams,” she said.

The ALBA Games are a multi-sport event organised by the Bolivarian Alliance for the Americas (ALBA) and are held once every two years. It was originally intended only for athletes of the ALBA member states but it has since expanded to other countries in the Americas.

Full Squads: Athletics: Evans Jones (coach), Richard Richardson, Timon Emanuel and Kadeem Campbell; Billiards: Lawrence Jardine (manager) , Terrance Phillip, Bernard Dowdy (captain), Dale Bryan, Edmond Brann and Jason Roberts; Domino: Carol-Faye Bynoe (manager), Michael Roach, Renfield Davis, Aldis Benjamin, Francine Hector and Desiree Parker; Fencing: Aleathea Cabral (chaperone), Vaughn Charles (coach), Daena Bird, Okeema Barnes, Marcel Maurice and Dante Browne.

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