Dear Editor,
An article which appeared in your Sports pages on Thursday, March, 12, with respect to the AAG’S selection of a team to participate in the Carifta Games 2015 over the Easter weekend in St Kitts refers.
The clarification in question refers to that section of the article which states: “Countries which are members of Carifta are allowed to participate” and a listing is given.
The statement is not correct. The Caribbean Free Trade Area (Carifta) was a political grouping formed by the then Prime Ministers of Barbados, Jamaica, Trinidad & Tobago and Guyana.
The Carifta Games were conceptualized by Mr Austin Sealy of Barbados who was at the time the President of the Barbados Olympic Committee, and who used the heads of government of the then Carifta countries as his main support grouping. It was agreed that the competition would be held over the Easter weekend of each year.
It might be opportune to record that in the inaugural games and following, the Guyana team was totally funded by the Government of Guyana and subsequently, a member of the then National Sports Development Council (NSDC) was selected by that body to attend the games as an observer.
Even in the inaugural competition, countries other than the accepted Free Trade Area (Carifta) members were allowed to send teams.
As a political organization, Carifta gave way to Caricom. But the name of the competition has remained intact – Carifta Games – despite several attempts to effect a change.
It is important to record that up until recently, the Carifta Games were held without having a formal body to govern them. Currently, however, they fall under the ambit of the Central American and Caribbean Athletics Confederation (CACAC), hence the large number of competing countries.
Yours faithfully,
Claude Blackmore
