Three of Antigua and Barbuda’s youth athletes will fly the country’s flag at this year’s North American, Central American and Caribbean (NACAC) Under-18 and Under-23 Track & Field Championships slated for Queretaro, Mexico from 5-7 July.
Female sprinters, Joella Lloyd and Bliss Soleyn, along with male sprinter Coull Graham – all based outside of Antigua – will compete at the noted championships.
Lloyd will compete in the 100 and 200 meters sprints in the under-18 division, while Soleyn will compete in the under-23 sprints, covering the 100 and 200 events.
Reports are that a lack of funding forced the Athletics Association to reduce its team to only three athletes. Indications are that the body submitted its request for funding just one week before the event, which did not give enough time to both the NOC and the ministry to process the request.
As a result, some athletes and their parents were informed just days prior to the team’s departure that they had been omitted.
Efforts to reach head of the Athletics Association, Everton Cornelius, were unsuccessful.