Carifta Games 2021 postponed – again

HAMILTON, Bermuda – Organisers have postponed the CARIFTA Games  2021 until August..

Traditionally staged over the Easter weekend annually, the prominent regional amateur track and field championships  was pushed back until July but will now be staged here from August 13-15.

“Our Games were scheduled for July 2-4 and … we received official word several days ago that the CXC exams have been scheduled for June 14 to July 16,” president of the North American, Central American and Caribbean Athletic Association (NACAC), Mike Sands said last Thursday.

“It  fell smack in the middle of our planning and would directly affect the vast majority, if not all, of our athletes. We undertook a series of emergency meetings to look at whatever dates were available,” he noted.

“When I received an email from the NACAC general secretary advising of the dates of the CXC exams, I was absolutely floored as this meant a change to the CARIFTA date,” said Donna Raynor, the the CARIFTA 2021 committee chairwoman,

“We looked at the dates and felt there were some positives. Hopefully by August, Bermuda and the Caribbean countries will have a better hold on the COVID pandemic,” she added.

The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in the region last year forced the Games to be scrapped and even though the fallout from the virus was still continuing, Raynor said there was no desire on the part of stakeholders to see the event cancelled again.

The CARIFTA Games , founded by the Caribbean Free Trade Association (CARIFTA). was first held in 1972 and consists of track and field events including sprint races, hurdles, middle distance track events, jumping and throwing events, and relays.