NASSAU, Bahamas – The Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) is the title sponsor for the 42nd annual CARIFTA, the region’s most significant annual track and field event which this year is being held in Nassau at the Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium. Mike Sands, president of The Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations (BAAA) made the announcement today at a press briefing.
“We are extremely pleased to name the games this year, The BTC CARIFTA Games reflecting BTC’s level of sponsorship and nation building commitment to junior and youth athletics in this country,” said Mike Sands. “History shows us that champions here will certainly be viewed as potential Olympic games material in the future. We are grateful to BTC for recognising this fact, and for backing up their belief in the country’s young aspiring athletes with essential financial support. This BTC support will help us shape our athletic destiny as a country.”
Senior BTC VP Marlon Johnson said that BTC is ever conscious of the community it serves.
“Community is front of mind for BTC. Sponsorship budgets are always directed at opportunities to educate, or entertain and in some way better people’s lives. We’re appreciative of our thousands of customers who use our services and we try and show that,” said the senior VP. “The BTC CARIFTA Games promises to be one of the best and we expect the outcome to underline our maturity as a viable contender on the world’s winning athletic stage.”
The BTC CARIFTA Games will be held Easter weekend, March 28th through April 1st and formidable competition is expected between the youth and junior athletes from 25 competing nations. College and university coaches and scouts from the United States are known to attend in a bid to identify the best of the up-and-coming athletes. It is considered one of the best development meets in world athletics.
Based on past results BTC CARIFTA medal winners will be viewed keenly as potential Olympic athletes and champions. Bahamians Mary Ann Higgs, Laverne Edge, Pauline Davis-Thompson, Debbie Ferguson, Antonique Strachan, and Golden Knights Demetrius Pinder, Chris Brown and Ramon Miller are all past CARIFTA champions and proof positive that winning here can be the road to glory and fame
CARIFTA has been held previously in The Bahamas in ’76, ’78, ’81, ’84, ’92, and 2002. Games have produced World Record holders, Usain Bolt, Darrel Brown, World and Olympic Champions such as Veronica Campbell-Brown of Jamaica, Kim Collins of St Kitts-Nevis and Pauline Davis-Thompson of the Bahamas, Alleyne Francique of Grenada and Obadele Thompson of Barbados.
By Jerome Sawyer
Caption: Mike Sands, BAAAs president, announced a title sponsor in the Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) for the upcoming annual regional CARIFTA Games 2013. The BTC CARIFTA Games will be held over the Easter weekend at the Thomas A. Robinson Stadium. Photo: BTC Ferrano Ferguson
