By Neto Baptiste
An eight-member team, spanning kiteboarding to swimming, will represent Antigua and Barbuda at this year’s Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile, from October 20 to November 5.
Professional tennis player Jody Maginley — fresh off winning back-to-back professional doubles titles — headlines the selections, while sprinter LaNika Locker, who in August became the country’s first female athlete to win a medal at the Commonwealth Youth Games with bronze in the 200 Meters Girls’ Under-18, is also included.
Also included is kiteboarder Tiger Tyson who is on a quest to qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics. Swimmers Noah Mascoll-Gomes and Stefano Mitchell will aim to cause a splash in the pool with Jules Mitchell included as the lone sailor to compete in the laser boat category.
Boxer Alston Ryan who is based in England, will be joined by Yakita Aska as the two fighters in Chile.
President of Antigua and Barbuda National Olympic Committee (ABNOC), EP Chet Greene, along with Secretary General of ABNOC, Cliff Williams, will also attend the games.
The duo will participate in various important assemblies such as the Annual Panam Sports General Assembly on 18-19 October and the CAC Games Elective Assembly on 23 October. Their presence signifies Antigua and Barbuda’s commitment to promoting sportsmanship at an international level.
Furthermore, ABS Television has been selected for participation in the Panam Sports Press Support Program. Terry Andrew and Joel Rayne have been chosen by ABS Television to represent their media outlet at this esteemed event. The program aims to make these games popular across all countries of the continent by inviting two journalists from each National Olympic Committee (NOC) so that they can experience this grand sporting event firsthand and share their experiences through their respective media platforms.