EDUCATION, SPORTS, GENDER & YOUTH AFFAIRS

The Antigua & Barbuda Amateur Athletic Association will be hosting its National Track & Field Meet on Sunday, June 19, at the YASCO Athletics Grounds.

The one day Meet is expected to attract a number of International Track & Field stars who have been representing Antigua/Barbuda, including Daniel (Bakka) Bailey, Bendon Christian, James Grayman and Shanon King, to name a few.

1st Vice-President of ABAAA Teddy Daley

According to 1st Vice President of the A&BAAA, Mr.Teddy Daley, the local clubs will be on show with their top athletes, including Tahir Walsh, Cejhae Green on the track, and Carifta bronze medalist, Edlyn Edgecomb in the Field Events.

Other overseas athletes from Jamaica, Trinidad and the sub-region have also been invited, Daley said.

The Senior National Meet will be a compact one as it is a one-day Event, "so we want everything to start on time", the Vice President warns.

Meanwhile, the Association is short on sponsorship and is appealing to the Corporate Community to assist financially and in any other avenue they can to realize a successful Event.

Many a times, the public and some businesses expect a lot from the various associations to create top class athletes, but funding to assist the associations to do so is sadly lacking.

The Association is still hopeful that sponsorship will be forthcoming and that the General Public will come out on July 19th in support of Antigua/Barbuda National athletes.

The 30th Olympic Games will be staged in London in 2012, and Antigua/Barbuda will be expected to field a team and hoping to medal this time around. Now is the time for all to show their support.

Earlier, this year, the A&BAAA had been given caretaker status of the YASCO Grounds and attempts are being made to have the facility up to par for the National Meet. According to Daley, "besides other arrangements being made for bathroom facilities, we are going to ensure that, at least, the stands are covered for the spectators."

According to Association officials, patrons who use the grounds will have to start paying to do so, as one of the means of generating revenue to develop the facility. However, the A&BAAA will need to formulate plans to realize major investment of funds for the Project.