by Carlena Knight
Female tennis star Sibley Charles will miss the Pan American Junior Games.
The news was confirmed by President of the Antigua and Barbuda Tennis Association Cordel Williams Sr over the weekend.
Williams explained that, although Charles later returned a negative Covid test after initially testing positive last week, she is unable to travel as she was placed on the CDC’s no travel list until December 5.
This means that Charles will miss the Pan Am Games in Cali, Colombia, as her event, individual tennis, begins today with the round of 32.
The female tennis player tested positive for Covid-19 minutes before boarding a flight from Miami to Colombia last week and is reportedly in the company of her father.
Antigua and Barbuda will participate in six disciplines at the Games, namely athletics, cycling, lawn tennis, sailing, fencing and beach volleyball.
Beach volleyballers Tyke Hawkins and Rayanna Regis will begin their Group C campaign on Tuesday versus Brazil at the Pan American Courts in Cancha.
The duo will then face Canada on December 1 and Venezuela on December 2.
Sprinter Roosevelt Bryan will also go into action on Tuesday in the men’s 100m sprint while long jumper Taeco O’Garro will compete a day later.
Sailor Daniel Smit will take to the waters in One-Person Dinghy on December 2 while cyclist Ghere Coates, fencer Hosea Ward and 800m runner Timon Emanuel will compete in their various events, Ward in Men’s Individual Foil, Coates in Cycling-Road on December 3.
O’Garro will then turn his attention to Triple Jump on December 4.
Sailor Jalese Gordon was earlier forced to withdraw from the games due to schedule conflicts with exams. Gordon is a second-year university student in Europe.
Antigua and Barbuda’s delegation will be headed by Thomas “Tommy” Greenaway, 3rd Vice President, ABNOC, as Chef de Mission. He will be assisted by ABNOC executive member Joann Small, who will also assume the role of chaperone and Covid liaison officer.