Young Vincentian athletes for revived Whitsuntide Games

Several young athletes have been named in a St Vincent and the Grenadines contingent to compete at the revived Whitsuntide Games in Grenada, June 3 and 4.

Among the selectees are two primary school students, Cody Bartley and Jeffeisha Ackie.

Bartley, of the Fitz-Hughes Government, was the male 11-15 champion and Victrix Ludorum of the 2017 Inter- Primary School Athletics, while Ackie, a student of the Questelles Government, was the female winner.

Bartley and Ackie are listed to contest the 100m, 200m and 400m at the games, to be held at the Kirani James National Stadium.

The two join Javiel Saxon, Delpesche, Tarique John and Kyle Lawrence, as the newcomers to national representation.

Saxon Delpesche will compete in the male Under-20, 200m and 400m, while John runs the 100m and 200m, in the male Under-18 age category.

John, who won 100m seniors at this year’s Inter-Secondary Schools’ Athletics Championships, as a student of the Emmanuel High School Mespo, had made the national spotlight last November, when he was debarred from being a part of the IT-DAT Academy for his practice of “bleaching” of his skin.

Meanwhile, Lawrence, a student of the St Martin’s Secondary, was the Junior Male Champion and the Victor Ludorum at this year’s Inter-Secondary Schools’ Athletics Championships.

The rest of the females selectees are Ulanda Lewis (Under-14), Darria Matthias, Zamesha Myle, Zita Vincent and Tamara Woodley (Under-18), Shantel Williams (Under-20), while the other males making the trip are Romar Stapleton (Under-16), Javon Rawlins and Truloni Mc Kenzie (Under-18) and Akani Slater (Open).

Lewis will test her skills in the 100m, 200m and 400m, with Matthias down for the 100m and 200m; Myle, 200m and 400m, Vincent and Woodley – 800m and 1500m and Williams, the 100m and 200m.

Travelling as chaperone/manager is Alexandra Walrond, with Rawlson Morgan as coach.

Other than St Vincent and the Grenadines, participation is expected from Trinidad and Tobago, Dominica, St Lucia, St Kitts and Nevis, Martinique, Puerto Rico and host Grenada.

The Whitsuntide Games, which returns after a decade of absence, was a major sub-regional meet during the 1980s to 2000s.