Archer: CARIFTA is the most important meet on our calendar

With a loaded schedule this summer, Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations’ (BAAA) President Drumeco Archer knows that an ideal working relationship with the new sports minister would be the best case scenario to ensure full participation by The Bahamas’ athletic teams at international meets.

The CARIFTA Games have been postponed twice, now set for August 13-15, and still at the Bermuda National Sports Centre in Hamilton, Bermuda. Just a couple days later, the World Athletics Under-20 (U20) Championships will commence – set for August 17-22, in Nairobi, Kenya. The Olympic Games and the inaugural Junior Pan American Games also get underway this summer, but Bahamian teams for those events are under the jurisdiction of the Bahamas Olympic Committee (BOC).

Archer said he expects to have a smooth working relationship with new Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture Iram Lewis, who himself has an intensive track and field background and who was once an executive member of the BAAA. The two met this week, and whereas details of the meeting were not disclosed, Archer said he feels satisfied that the government of The Bahamas will match or exceed their usual financial commitments this summer.

“CARIFTA is the most important meets on our calendar. We want to compete at every level, and certainly the world juniors is the pinnacle of success at the junior level, but the excitement and fever of CARIFTA is unmatched,” said Archer. “If an athlete qualifies to compete at the world juniors, obviously the athlete and the coaching staff would manage their priorities accordingly. Our job is to ensure the preparation of athletes by providing proper training and competition environments, and the rest will take care of itself. The athletes and their coaches will decide on what is priority for them. We expect the usual support from the government. We have begun discussions with the ministry in relation to costs and in getting Team Bahamas to the CARIFTA Games and the world juniors, and we’re optimistic that it will work out in our favor.”

World Athletics President Lord Sebastian Coe once termed CARIFTA one of the best junior athletics competitions in the world, and said as a testament that the sport will continue to thrive in the post-Usain Bolt era, one needs to look no further than the CARIFTA Games. Some of the world’s finest stars in athletics have come out of the Caribbean region.

Archer expects full participation from The Bahamas at both the CARIFTA Games and the World U20s, but knows that athletes who qualify for the latter will most likely choose to go to that particular meet. It will be virtually impossible for athletes to compete in both meets.

“It’s unfortunate because we know that some athletes would have wanted to go to both meets,” said Archer. “With CARIFTA, they are disadvantaged again because by mid-August, most schools would have already made their selections in terms of overseas scholarships. The CARIFTA Games is probably the most sought-after event for athletics for universities. You would notice that there are a number of scouts at the CARIFTA Games every year. In this instance, we are having an event in August and therein lies a significant challenge. Be that as it may, we will prepare our athletes as best as we can and we expect The Bahamas to make one of its better showings.”

The Bahamas has finished second at the past two CARIFTA Games behind Jamaica and is usually in the top three. Jamaica has won the last 35 CARIFTA track and field championships – usually by a large margin. Archer put the onus on coaches to properly prepare their athletes in respect of the long and extended season due to the ever-present nature of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We’re asking coaches to take a slow and steady approach in the training regimens of their athletes,” said Archer. “You have to allow athletes to have sustainable training and a competition program that will allow them to maximize their potential at certain meets. This current scenario presents a barometer that allows coaches to have some flexibility and experiment a bit more on how to achieve optimum levels of performance for their athletes.”

Archer said he is not opposed to Bahamian junior athletes competing in the Olympic Games, but CARIFTA track and field is now set to commence less than a week later. The Olympics is set for July 23 to August 8, in Tokyo, Japan. Also on the schedule in the coming months is the inaugural Junior Pan American Games which is set for September 9-19, in Cali, Colombia.

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