Better organisation needed at Carifta - Ja officials

April 04, 2018
Members of the 2018 Carifta team.

With its schedule falling on the heels of the ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys and Girls’ Athletics Championships, which is regarded by many as the greatest high school track and field event in the world, the flaws of the Carifta Games seem more evident  to the Jamaican track and field fraternity.

They were made even more pronounced this year, as several athletes left the games without the medals they should have been awarded for winning their respective events.

“They need to organise this event better,” one of the Jamaican officials was heard saying after the team landed at the Norman Manley International Airport yesterday following the Easter Weekend meet.

President of the Jamaica Athletic Association, Warren Blake, who was also a part of the delegation, said that he was taken aback that the organisers could have overlooked something like that.

“Carifta Games overall was fairly well organised but there were a few issues and the biggest issue was really a surprise to everybody and I think it was an embarrassment for the organisers that enough medals weren’t ordered and they have apologised profusely for it,” Blake said.
“I think there was an oversight. They ordered medals for the exact number of events and never took into account that there were relays and you need medals for up to six persons for the relays.”

Christopher Taylor, who won the 200m for under 20 boys, is one of the athletes, who have not received a medal for finishing in the top three of their respective events.

STAR Sports also understands that none of the mile relay team members have received any medals.

“They have indicated to us that they are going to be doing the extra medals and they will send them to us. So the kids will get their medals,” Blake said.

Jamaica topped the medals table at the games with 82 medals.