TT Carifta athletics team manager expects strong showing

TEAM manager of the Trinidad and Tobago Carifta track and field team Durly Lucas said the officials are trying to keep the athletes relaxed, so they will perform at their best when the 2022 Carifta Games begin on Saturday.

The 49th Carifta Games will be held from Saturday to Monday at the National Stadium in Kingston, Jamaica.

Over 40 athletes and 12 officials will represent TT at the Games.

Athletes will represent TT in the Under-17 and Under-20 age groups.

This will be the first Carifta Games held since 2019 because of the covid19 pandemic. For many of the athletes it would their first time representing their country.

Speaking to media in Tobago recently, Lucas said, “Preparation has been going quite good so far.”

Lucas said the preparations included an anti-doping seminar and an interview session which will help the athletes cope with interviews.

TT will compete in multiple relay events and practice sessions have been geared towards that.

Janae De Gannes was recently included in the TT squad, said Lucas. De Gannes was not initially named in the squad because of her vaccination status, according to the National Association of Athletics Administrations.

Lucas expects the TT athletes to compete at a high level.

“I think our roles and responsibilities are to be able to have them in a state where they are relaxed and they can participate to their best. (We are telling them if) you had a foul in this event then you need to forget it because you can’t bring that back…I expect them to do well.”