Selection controversy mars Commonwealth Games TT team

An eight-member squad has been named to represent Jamaica at next year's Commonwealth Games in Australia.

The team is led by national champion Simon Tomlinson and includes four men and four women.

The men selected are Tomlinson, Christopher Marsh and Rahjni Brown, who placed first, second and fourth at the September 16 trial and Kane Watson, who injured his hamstring playing for Jamaica at the recent Caribbean Championships in Cuba.

Not selected is Alphanso Morris who placed third at the Trials.

The women's team is headed by national champion Shenique Clare, and includes former national Yvonne Foster, Dadrian Lewis and Onika Francis.

Neither Clare, former national champion Foster nor former national player Lewis played in the Trials, but Clare did fly from overseas where she now lives to play the National Championships in August, which was postponed at the last-minute.

SHORT NOTICE

It is understood that the Trials were staged at short notice to meet a Commonwealth Games nomination deadline and that Foster was unable to get time off from work to attend the event.

Tomlinson is aggrieved that the 13 year-old Lewis hasn't been selected.

In a Facebook video post on September 29, Tomlinson said Solesha Young, Under-13 runner-up at the recent Caribbean Region Mini and Pre-Cadet Championships, had played her heart to make the team in finishing second to Francis at the Trials.

"Is it right to leave a young, talented, hard working player off the team when they have met all the requirements?", he asked on Facebook.

The Games are set for April on Australia's Gold Coast.