Qualifiers for ‘world’ relays at Mucurapo
By WALTER ALIBEY Wednesday, May 20 2009
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ATHLETICS fans are relishing an opportunity to witness a repeat of the 4x100 Metres Relay showdown at the Beijing Olympic Games.
This possibility was raised yesterday with the announcement that Trinidad and Tobago has been chosen to stage a World Championship qualifier for the relay events.
At a press conference at the Hyatt Regency in Port- of-Spain, Ephraim Serrette, president of the new National Association of Athletic Administration, which replaces the National Amateur Athletic Association (NAAA) also revealed that, for the first time both the National Junior and Open Track and Field Championships will be held jointly.
The combined championships will be staged from June 19 to 21 at the refurbished Hasely Crawford Stadium, Mucurapo.
Serrette said that the silver medal success of TT’s 4x100 metres relay team in Beijing has heightened interest in the qualifiers for the World Championships which will be staged from August 15 to 23 in Berlin, Germany.
The quartet of Marc Burns, Richard Thompson, Emmanuel Callender, Aaron Armstrong and Darrel Brown finished second to Jamaica in the Olympic 4x100m final in 38.06.
Serrette said confirmation has already been received from a number of top teams who are interested in coming to TT to try and qualify for the World Championship.
Among them are Olympic champions Jamaican led by sprint phenomenon Usain Bolt and includes former world record holder for the 100m Asafa Powell.
Also expected to participate are Brazil and Canada, who placed fourth and sixth respectively in the Olympic final as well as Afghanistan and Iran. Serrette Japan, who placed third in the finals.
Serrette said yesterday that the national championships will be “the biggest and best” ever to be held. It has already been sanctioned by the international body governing the sport– the IAAF – and therefore times recorded will be recognised internationally.
TT’s junior athletes recently copped 29 medals at the Carifta Games and this was followed by a series of outstanding performances from 400 metre ace Renny Quow, Ato Stephens and Melissa De Leon at the 3rd IAAF Ponce Grand Prix last weekend.
Josanne Lucas also won the 400m hurdles at the Rio Grand Prix in Brazil on Sunday.
The National Championships will also be used to select a TT team for the World Championships as athletes must participate if they are to become eligible for Germany, the CAC Games and the Pan American Games.
Quadruple Olympic medallist Ato Boldon said at the media conference the relay qualifiers should be something that locals can embrace. He said the event is expected to be of a very high standard since all the teams will be out to do their best to qualify for the World Championships.
Meanwhile the facilities at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, which are being upgraded particularly for the Caribbean Games from July 12 to 19, are on schedule for the competition. Repair work is being done to the roof, seating capacity, toilet facilities as well as the media booths.
Government is also, for the first time, sealing the joints of the entire facility — which will allow the space below to be used as offices for various sporting disciplines.
Upgrade work is also taking place at Shaw Park in the sister-isle of Tobago, the Woodbrook Youth Facility and at the Jean Pierre Complex.
Government has also put in place a maintenance master programme for the refurbished facilities.
I think it will bring extra competition forcing our teams to give something better than mediocre and will hopefully bring awareness of track and field in Trinidad and Tobago and hopefully something can spark up from there and the country can build on track and field for the better.
Ato since you were there, did it look promising to you?
