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Young Barbadians Athletes Excel at CARIFTA Trials Despite No National Stadium Track

A few days ago BU highlighted the sorry state of local sports with real possibility the National Primary Schools Athletics Championships (NAPSAC) and the Barbados Secondary Schools’ Athletic Championships (BSSAC) are in danger of being cancelled – NAPSAC and BSSAC in Danger of Being Cancelled. The reason: the National Stadium track is under construction and…

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CARIFTA GAMES 2013 to be held in the Bahamas
CARIFTA GAMES 2013 to be held in the Bahamas

A few days ago BU highlighted the sorry state of local sports with real possibility the National Primary Schools Athletics Championships (NAPSAC) and the Barbados Secondary Schools’ Athletic Championships (BSSAC) are in danger of being cancelled – NAPSAC and BSSAC in Danger of Being Cancelled. The reason: the National Stadium track is under construction and has been unavoidably delayed.  Incredible though it seems there was no contingency planned for this eventuality.

The result of the poor planning means that our two premier track and field championships which affords the opportunity of our young athletes to showcase their talent remains uncertain on the meet calendar. The Ministry of Sports and the National Sports Council should offer a public apology to ALL athletes who have to train everyday day with the mental anguish created by the doubt that BSSAC and NAPSAC will not come off. To repeat, the thought of a similar mishap occurring in Jamaica or Bahamas is unfathomable.

We should note that Ministers Ronald Jones and Lashley hastily held a meeting with stakeholders on Monday to determine how the two meets can be staged. No doubt they were busy doing other things. Early feedback suggests the National Stadium track may be ready in MAY which means if all goes to plan at this late stage the meets with have to be staged in the THIRD term. What incompetents!

What is heart warming is that despite the lack of priority placed on local athletics by key stakeholders, our athletes are still performing well when given the opportunity. This past weekend in Trinidad Barbadian athletes competed in the CARIFTA trials, and dominated the competition in all divisions. A check of the results show that Trinidadian athletes struggled to attain medals on home turf!

What is incredible is that the local media has not adequately promoted the performance of these young athletes . This would never have happened in Jamaica or Bahamas.

Follow this LINK to check the incredible results of our young athletes at the CARIFTA Trials in Trinidad last weekend. Take special note of the U17girls 100m and U20 girls 400m.

BU thanks former national athlete Jamal Miller who is currently coaching in Canada for bring this information to our attention.

  1. Caribbean Vibe Barbados Avatar
    Caribbean Vibe Barbados

    Reblogged this on CARIBBEAN VIBE BARBADOS – Blog.

  2. David Avatar
    David

    Congrats to the young athletes. Some day people i high places will wake up to the opportunities which sports offer.

  3. Well Well Avatar
    Well Well

    Congrats to these brave young people. The ministry responsible should take note, that unless these youngsters have an adequately equipped environment to do their training, the damage to their bodies will be irreversible, of course by then they will have to recourse for compensation.

  4. David Avatar
    David

    We are always able to compete up to a certain level and then the other countries pull away from us. What does it say? Our athletes are talented but it takes more than talent. We have to find a way to fuse that talent with a disciplined and professional approach which is where the government and ancillary entities come in. Note we have not mentioned the BOA which is comprised of a bunch of fat cats in the main.

  5. Georgie Porgie Avatar
    Georgie Porgie

    REALLY REALLY
    ‘the damage to their bodies will be irreversible’” if these children miss a sports meet?Please explain.
    After driving all over Jamaica two years ago,I was amazed that :” the e youngsters there do not have an adequately equipped environment to do their training” but they do very well in athletics. Could this be genetics?, ,

  6. David Avatar
    David

    @GP

    Hunger?

  7. Sargeant Avatar
    Sargeant

    @David
    I hope you were being facetious with your answer of “‘hunger”, if there is one thing that would imperil an athlete’s performance it is hunger and Jamaicans despite whatever may prevail there are not hungry.

    I recently listened to a documentary about a wunderkind who despite hunger and poverty is on her way to great things in Chess. One wonders if there are not thousands more like her who remain “undiscovered” due to lack of opportunity.

    http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/news/story?id=5965666

  8. Alvin Cummins Avatar
    Alvin Cummins

    @ David.
    You seem to think that the postponement of one track meet by two months means the end of the world. If the natural elements meant that the construction work would be delayed why are you making such a big song and daonce about it? the track will be finished, the meets will be held and the children with talent will show that talent. “…no doubt they were doing other things”…Of course they were they were busy being elected. You forget there was an election campaign..there were no “ministers” as such, and the fact that the contractors were working on the stadium at the same time does not mean they were “incompetents”. what’s the matter with you today?

  9. David Avatar
    David

    @Alvin

    You keep missing the point here. It is the lack of discipline around how we make decisions affecting sports which has spread to other areas. The lack of readiness of the track is only one symptom.

  10. millertheanunnaki Avatar
    millertheanunnaki

    @ Alvin Cummins | March 8, 2013 at 2:59 PM |
    “If the natural elements meant that the construction work would be delayed why are you making such a big song and daonce about it? ”

    What natural elements what? Can you tell us if Bim had a hurricane or serious bad weather like persistent rain for days or flooding in the Waterford area. Next time you will want to blame the international recession or the storm Sandy or even heavy snow fall.
    Just another feeble partisan excuse for the real cause of delay which was and still is cash flow problems to pay the contractors.
    Man tell the truth and we can go forward from there.

  11. Bush Tea Avatar
    Bush Tea

    @ Miller
    Take it easy with the “over and away” fellows…. Except for Hants and Pat, they actually think that normal common sense rules apply here in Bim.
    You think that those fellows realize that when we talk about these “repairs”, we are NOT referring to any work on the stands or other infrastructure, but ONLY the actual track.

    When the track is finaly done after all the delays, some bright spark will realize that the stands are falling apart and require some serious work.

    Then they will close the place for the 2015 sports term and drive the trucks and tractors over the new track to repair the stands…. 🙂
    Standard practice…..

  12. Jamal J Miller Avatar
    Jamal J Miller

    iam sorry but i really think you guys missed the point from David. its not a matter of the Track being Done, or not done. its the state of Track and Field in the Country. How is it that a team traveled from Barbados Competed and Dominated and the Bajan Public was oblivious. These Kids Excelled in spite of no track being completed and this is a testament to our coaches in the Country. This year we have seen less injures and a more focused approach to LTAD “Long Term Athletic Development”.
    To the gentleman saying the track will be finished and its no big deal. The IAAF and world track and field body is not standing still. in a year with such events as world Youth and World Championships. standards have to be met by the Athletes. on a Sanctioned approved IAAF Certified facility.

  13. Track star Avatar
    Track star

    people as you all discuss ad naseum during the London Olys the state of track and field gine stay moribund once the likes of Stoute he lapdog Simmonds, the boy Booza King at NSC, Esther Maynard, Brugga, the doctor Lorde and cammie Burke and that ilk control atheletics and its purse strings.
    The priority on them people mind is first class junkets to wherever, they sponge off the poor athletes who are always in the minority if not not left behind.

  14. Alvin Cummins Avatar
    Alvin Cummins

    @Miller:
    Yes they did have serious rain. Don’t you read the paper/ You are just looking through Red glasses, so maybe that has affected your “vision”.

  15. David Avatar
    David

    Pathetic to watch our young athletes trying to quality for Carifta on the dry and bumpy surface at Combermere today.

  16. Hants Avatar
    Hants

    Over the years Barbadian athletes have been going to the USA on full scholarships.

    They end up with academic degrees even if they don’t become world class athletes.

    Barbados could at least provide the facilities to allow the youngsters a chance for a free education.

    I could do a cost benefit analysis showing the value to Barbados of these scholarships but …..

  17. David Avatar
    David

    An excellent presentation this morning by Cherita O’Dell. Maybe the fat cats at the Barbados Olympic Association can work with government to transform the National Stadium into a high performance centre. Remember the BOA promised after the last Olympiad to work to map a strategy to give us a chance to medal. What is the status of that plan fat cats?

  18. millertheanunnaki Avatar
    millertheanunnaki

    @ David | March 13, 2013 at 7:41 AM |

    Excellent presentation, indeed! I have always been impressed with her forthright and informative presentations. It is people like her that need to be given further opportunities to serve in decision-making roles in public life.
    Do you know if she sits of any government board directing sports or culture in Barbados?

    BTW, is Cherita the same person who had a different surname some time ago? Sounds exactly like her, not so?

  19. David Avatar
    David

    @Miller

    Cherita Howard before she took the plunge recently. Believe she is the daughter of Professor Michael Howard. Obviously an intelligent lady and one who thinks before speaking. These are the people we need up front and centre instead of those professional sports administrators who are intent on playing musical chairs.

  20. millertheanunnaki Avatar
    millertheanunnaki

    @ David | March 13, 2013 at 8:22 AM |

    The old “Cawmere”intellectual Mafiosi from the Waterford Cosa Nostra on this blog should be proud that one of their kith and kin has produced such excellent intellectual stock.
    Caswell and Bushie shout take note. Alvin Cummins from the school days of Roebuck of yesteryear can also tag along.

  21. David Avatar
    David

    To rienforce the point that we are dealing with ignorance and a mindset many would have read the head of the Barbados Cycling Union’s comment this week which expressed concern about the damage the cycle track is talking as a result of work on the atheletic track.

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