Fri | Apr 26, 2024

More meets axed for this weekend

Published:Friday | February 19, 2021 | 12:18 AMRaymond Graham/Gleaner Writer
Shianne DaCosta (left) of Hydel High School wins the Class One Girls 800m at the Tyser Mills Track Meet at the Calabar High School on Saturday, December 12, 2020. This was the only junior track and field meet to take place locally since the start of the pa
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Shianne DaCosta (left) of Hydel High School wins the Class One Girls 800m at the Tyser Mills Track Meet at the Calabar High School on Saturday, December 12, 2020. This was the only junior track and field meet to take place locally since the start of the pandemic in March last year.

Track and field athletes will have to endure even further delays to their season as more meets have been scrapped for this weekend.

This follows a postponement of the Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association (JAAA) Qualifying Trial meets a week ago.

Eleven meets should have taken place a week ago, but for the JAAA not getting timely approval from the Government. It found itself in a similar situation where no correspondence was received from the Government up to noon yesterday.

“We are yet to get a response from the Government, so we have no choice but to once again delay the start of competition by cancelling the meets for this weekend, but we are hopeful we will get a positive response for us to start next Saturday,” JAAA First Vice-President Ian Forbes said.

“I know we are in a serious time with the pandemic, and the authority is quite concerned, and we do understand that, but we remain positive as we are still planning.”

SETBACK

Forbes says that the delay is a blow for athletes as they will have to play catch-up with their international competitors.

Edwin Allen High School girls’ team head coach Michael Dyke is disappointed by the further delay to the start of competition but says he understands the situation.

“This has now become very challenging in terms of qualification for Champs, but it is understandable as we do have a rise in cases, and this could be the reason, with those in charge not wanting to take any chances, so they are delaying in their decision,” he said.

But Dyke remains hopeful about the future.

“Although Champs now looks very doubtful, I am still very optimistic it will happen,” he said. “For me, it is not only about Champs as this will affect the national programme as there is Carifta Games, and World Juniors, along with Olympics for our senior athletes. Hopefully, these athletes can get some competition so college scouts from overseas can see them competing so they can be offered scholarships.”

sports@gleanerjm.com