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Missing out on hosting 50th CARIFTA Games is AAG’s biggest disappoint for 2022
Kaieteur News – The CARIFTA Games, the Caribbean’s largest track and field event, was supposed to have its Golden Jubilee celebration in Guyana in 2023.
It was heralded as the first time since the games started that it would’ve been held in the Land of Many Waters.
Guyana is a founding member of CARIFTA, and in 1972 the games were initiated to mark the Caribbean Free Trade Association’s transition to CARICOM, giving the event in Guyana historical relevance.
However, in what can only be best described as a ‘fumble of the baton’ between the Government of Guyana (past and present) and the Athletics Association of Guyana (AAG), the country lost its right to host the 50th edition of the prestigious event.
The North American, Central American and Caribbean Athletic Association (NACAC), custodians of the CARIFTA Games, announced the games, instead, will be hosted in the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, following the AAG’s inability to garner enough support, especially from the Government of Guyana.
FLASHBACK! From left, Colonel Paul Arthur (LOC member); NACAC president Mike Sands, AAG president Aubrey Hutson, NACAC general secretary Keith Joseph and Mayfield Taylor-Trim (LOC member) during the NACAC team’s visit to Guyana in 2020.
“It was the biggest disappointment for the sport (of Track and Field),” Hutson told Kaieteur News when asked about the year in the sport in which he has been president for the past decade.
“I don’t think the Government (of Guyana) bought into the CARIFTA Games,” the usually candid Hutson said.
Guyana won a bid to host the games in 2019, but the AAG failed to secure a written commitment from the Government of Guyana.
The AAG, according to the well-placed source, was only able to get the Government’s verbal commitment, while NACAC was pressing for an official agreement, which is mandatory.
To be fair, the AAG has been asking for a written commitment from the government since 2019.
Sources confirmed, also, that the AAG had told the current government that apart from their letter of commitment, the local organising committee was struggling to find sufficient rooms to house the delegation of officials, athletes and dignitaries from participating countries.
Hutson, however, believes that the Government of Guyana “got cold feet.”
“It was more of a national embarrassment, honestly. When we stand up in meetings, telling NACAC that we have a commitment and everything will be set for us to host the games, and then, we did. It was embarrassing,” Hutson noted.
“It’s not just important because of our history in CARIFTA, but it’s important to host events like the CARIFTA Games to expose more athletes to International competition,” the AAG president said.
Huston pointed to the country’s hosting of the 2017 South American Championships, where they had the second-highest medals (25), only behind Brazil (32).
“If you look at how Guyana is seen since the South American U20 that we hosted, our performance there helped to elevate and how we’re respected in track and field. We performed well because we were able to expose a lot more of our athletes to international competition,” Hutson said.
Nonetheless, Hutson said the AGG remains committed to ensuring that the country’s best talents, eligible for the CARIFTA Games, are given the opportunity to compete, wherever the games are held.
The 2017 CARIFTA Games will go down as one of the country’s most memorable outings, with Guyana grabbing eight medals – four gold, three bronze and one silver.
It was at the 46th edition of the games, hosted in Curacao, where Linden’s Compton Caesar created history by winning Guyana’s first-ever gold medal in the 100m at the event.
Chantoba Bright is the most decorated Guyanese athlete (to date) at the CARIFTA Games, with the Kansas State student amassing a total of nine medals – three gold, four silver and two bronze in her four outings at the championship.
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