Latest update May 25th, 2026 12:35 AM
CARIFTA team departs without Fraser
– Boyce forced to make tough decision
By Edison Jefford
Guyana’s national junior athletics team that will compete in the CARIFTA Games, which start on Saturday at the Truman Bodden Sports Complex in the Cayman Islands, departed the country early yesterday morning minus Curtis Fraser.
Fraser, an outstanding junior sprinter, gave up his seat on the flight to accommodate the replacement coach, Mark Scott after Lyndon Wilson and manager, Pamela Phillips, could not make the tour owed to undisclosed personal difficulties.
Kaieteur Sport understands that Fraser had travelled up to the Cheddi Jagan International Airport ready to make the trip, but was later asked to surrender his seat to Scott after their initial officials, Wilson and Phillips, were unable to travel.
Wilson and Phillips, both Police Officers had only returned from the Inter-Guiana Games Tuesday afternoon after performing similar functions. The CARFITA contingent was booked to leave Guyana around 5am yesterday morning.
However, circumstances beyond the Athletics Association of Guyana (AAG) control had forced the association to find a late replacement to travel to the games with the seven-member national junior team that spent last night in Jamaica.
“We had a difficulty that was beyond our control. A difficulty developed with Willo and Pam (Wilson and Phillips) and we had to find replacements,” President of the AAG Colin Boyce indicated, adding that flights were booked for them.
He said that the route is Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica and then the Cayman Islands. The head of the national association revealed that it was difficult switching the flights to Scott because the names of Wilson and Phillips were there before.
Boyce informed that after negotiations with the airlines, an agent told him that the switch would cost them one seat.
He subsequently agreed and because Fraser was on standby for the team initially, he became the sacrificial lamb.
“I had to take off Curtis and try to get him on a flight on Friday (tomorrow) because I did not want eight athletes travelling alone without management. We have three young ladies on that team and they are spending a night in Jamaica,” he said.
“I had to make a judgement call. It brought about some hard feelings but it was a decision that we had to make in the interest of our athletes. I consoled Fraser.
I told him that it was decision made for his country,” Boyce stated yesterday.
The athletes that left with Scott were Jenella Jonas, Jevina Straker and Tiffany Carto with males Kevin Bayley, Winston Caesar, Parish Cadogan and Chavez Ageday. United States based jumper, Rolston Braithwaite will join them today.
The AAG head said that Faye Naughton and Fraser are scheduled to depart tomorrow for the Cayman Islands. Naughton will perform duties as Manager/Chaperon. The CARIFTA team returns to Guyana Tuesday following the meet this weekend.
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