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By Neto Baptiste
Meet Director for the recently held National Track & Field Championship and former national athlete, Teddy Daley, said that in comparison to previous years, there has been no significant or noticeable increase in spectatorship during this year’s instalment of the event held over the weekend.
Speaking on the Good Morning Jojo Sports Show, Daley hinted that public attendance at the event will not grow until the proper amenities are put in place at the venue that would allow individuals to comfortably observe the events.
“Until we get proper seating facilities with a cover and so on, I think that is going to affect the attendance but I want to thank all those persons who came out still to support the athlete. I want to personally thank all of the officials so the people at the call room, the finish line, the field events team, logistics team, the people who refresh the officials and so on. I also want to thank Shawna for stepping up in the absence of the president and helping to facilitate these things. Everybody put their hands to the plough and got the job done,” he said.
Despite the average turnout in the stands, Daley commended the athletes for their stellar performances over the two days, adding that the country has a bright future ahead where relay contention is concerned.
“Right now, we are at a stage where I don’t remember us being there before. We have right now, the material in terms of female athletes, to put together a great 4×1 relay team and the same thing with the men. We have a 4×4 emerging team with the men also and I think as an organisation, we have to do everything that is possible to nurture this and get them ready so that in the next two or three years, Antigua and Barbuda can be proud of the teams that we put out there,” the Meet Director said.
As for the execution of the Meet from a logistics standpoint, Daley commended his team for what he said was a job well done.
“I think we would score an 8.5 to a nine out of 10 with the way things went. There were some hiccups but we had people in place and persons stepped up to the plate and dealt with them so it didn’t have a negative effect on the event itself. The timing system worked superb over the weekend to the point where we we’ve been able to send the information to World Athletics already,” he said.
Four track and field stalwarts, including Daley, were also recognized and honoured during the Meet for their contribution to the sport over the years. The other three are Richard Lindsay (former athlete and administrator), Jyme Bridges Sr (longstanding member of technical team) and Relton “Fitz” Brathwaite (former administrator).
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