By Neto Baptiste
The Antigua and Barbuda Athletics Association (ABAA) has targeted a date in June for the staging of its first senior National Track & Field Championships since 2016.
This was revealed by president of the organisation, Everton Cornelius, who said the association is working hard to put on the competition following a five-year hiatus.
“We are looking at June 19 and 20 and we are watching to see how things pan out and see if we could really have our nationals because we are trying really hard to have it. We are also going to start to have some development meets, maybe, in the next week or two so we could start looking at our athletes,” he said.
The 2017 event was cancelled following complaints over the condition of the surface at the YASCO Sports Complex while shortly after, rehabilitation work commenced at the facility. The news however means that the 2021 National Championships could be the first official event held at the facility since the laying of the certified Mondo surface.
Cornelius said also that a number of development meets are planned for the coming weeks as the association jumpstarts preparation for the 2021 Carifta Games later this year.
“Carifta is the first week in August and so we are now trying to see how we can sort out our junior athletes to see if we can have participation in that upcoming event which will be down in the summer. There is a questionnaire being sent to all the federations asking us to look at a date we think is suitable for all of us to have Carifta because I guess they are trying to move Carifta from the Easter weekend and putting it in an area that would be a little more comfortable for everyone. I guess when you look at what’s going on now and with the date being August, hopefully Carifta might find itself somewhere in that vicinity,” he said.
A number of the country’s top athletes, to include sprinters Cejhae Greene and Joella Lloyd, could compete in the planned nationals.