The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

AFTER hosting a successful combined Youth and Junior Nationals, the Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations is now preparing for their Senior Nationals this weekend at the new Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium.

On Saturday at the original Thomas A. Robinson Track and Field Stadium where the joint Youth and Junior Nationals was held, BAAA's president Rosamunde Carey said she was pleased with what she saw, although there were some top athletes who didn't compete in what was a qualifier for IAAF Under-20 Championships in Tampere, Finland from July 10-15 and the Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires, Argentina from October 1-6.

Excited

"I'm really excited about our development programme, especially with the under-17 division," Carey said. "If you noticed what they did, the bulk of our performances came from the under-17 and the other lower age groups. And we have gotten some good reviews from the coaches and the parents.

"A lot of them told us that it was good that we combined the youth and the junior nationals because we got to showcase the little ones and gave them a stage to perform on.

"We are also calling them national champions in the events that they won. So we felt that with this forum, they get to compete and showcase their talent, it will continue to allow us to expand on our base in age group category."

In establishing the youth and junior national championships, Carey said they have provided an avenue for the athletes to continue in the sport.

At the same time, the under-20 athletes primarily competed for a chance to qualify for the World Junior Championships. A number of athletes, including Joel Johnson, Adrian Curry, Jaida Knowles and Sasha Wells were among the qualifiers to travel to Finland.

"Some of the athletes didn't show, although they were injured," Carey said. "Some of them have indicated that it's been a long season.

"But Carey said the coaches know that the international meets were coming up and they had hope that they would prepare their athletes for the long haul.

"We have one or two of our top athletes who didn't come to the nationals to compete," Carey said. "But if you don't come to the nationals and compete, which serves as the trials for us to select our teams, you won't be going to the meets. We have a lot of athletes who pre-qualified, but they need to show up to the trials.

"At the trials, we select our team. You may have been healthy two or three months ago, but you need to show up at the trials to show your fitness as you go head-to-head against the other athletes who are also trying to make the teams."

This weekend, the BAAA will hold their senior nationals at the new Thomas A Robinson National Stadium and Carey said she expects not expect a repeat of what saw at the youth and junior nationals.

Prizes

The athletes will be competing on Friday and Saturday for spots on the team heading to the NACAC Senior Championships in Toronto, Canada from August 10-12 when for the first time, officials will be providing cash prizes for the winners. Additionally, the athletes will also be attempting to qualify for the Central American and Caribbean Games in Barranquilla, Colombia from July 20 to August 3.

"We expect everyone to be here for the Senior Nationals," Carey stated. "You have to show up and run in the events that you intend to run at the international events.

"We've made it very clear to all of the senior athletes so by them not showing up to the trials, you're saying to the BAAA that you are not interested in competing in those international meets."

Despite that, some athletes have indicated that because it's an off year with no major competition to compete in, they may not be participating in the nationals this weekend.

But Carey said it doesn't matter.

"We still have a Senior Nationals, we still have athletes competing and so if they want to compete on any international meet this year, we expect for them to compete in the Nationals this weekend, particularly those athletes who are on subvention by the government," Carey insisted.

"They need to be here competing.

"So I expect some exciting match-ups, especially in the men's 400 metres and the women's 100m hurdles."