media_artricles :: 2017

NAAA brands June championship month

The qualification of the national women's 4x100 metres and 4x400m relay teams for the International Associations of Athletics Federation (IAAAF) World Championships in London, England, later this year, will be high on the agenda when the NGC/SAGICOR-sponsored National Amateur Athletics Association of T&T (NAAATT) comes off at the Hasely Crawford Stadium, Mucurapo from June 23rd to June 25.

This was stated by the Events Committee Chairman, and NAAATT second vice-president, Allan Baboolal, at the launch of the NGC/SAGICOR Championships at the T&T North Room of the Radisson Hotel, Wrightson Road in Port-of-Spain, yesterday.

For the Open Championship, Baboolal said all the events associated with track and field will be contest with the exception of the steeplechase as the NAAATT have not see any entries for the event in a couple of years now.

With regards to the top profile athletes who will be on show, Baboolal said while it may be too early to list the names what he could say was that as stipulated by the IAAF, it was a requirement for all athletes to come back home and compete once they are looking to qualify for any major event, and this year in particular, the IAAF World Championship is carded for London, England.

Asked how important the Championships are to the local athletes, in particular the relay teams, Baboolal pointed out that the Men's 4x100 metres team has already qualified to the World Championship after winning the B-Final of the World Relays in Bahamas recently, to get a spot after three teams failed to finish in the A-Final.

"The T&T men's 4x400m relay quartet advanced to the final of their event in Bahamas as well, and while they did not medal, they were granted a spot in London, by virtue of being in the medal race, where they placed fifth."

However, its a different kettle of fish for both women relay teams as the women 4x 100m relay team are yet to qualify after they dropped the baton in the heats in Bahamas while the 4x400m women did not reach the medal stage as well.

"So we are making every effort to have the events contested here in T&T where we would have some international countries for the women to compete against," said Baboolal.

"In terms of the 4x400m relay, the team is pretty strong and probably the strongest so far and we are still looking to have a team to have the 4x400m women qualify.

"So it's very important as you know as T&T usually has a strong presence at the World Championship in the relays."

In general, Baboolal said the focus of the Senior Championships have always been the 100m and 400m for both men and women because those are the strongest areas for T&T athletes.

"However, we want to incorporate some of the juniors who have had extremely good performances at the Carifta Games earlier this year.

"Again this year we will have Olympic javelin champion, Keshorn Walcott and Tyriq Horsford, the national Under-18 boys javelin record holder and three-time reigning Carifta champion, who has thrown over 76 metres.

"For the 100m we are expected to once again have an A and B final, with the latter being open to athletes from other countries who have expressed a willingness to compete at the Championships and are not nationals of T&T."

The 5,000m men and women races are expected to attract a lot of interest as well as efforts are being made to invite runners from outside the region, mainly East Africa, Kenya and Ethiopia.

Baboolal noted that for those foreign entrants in the 5,000m no appearance fees will be given to them, but what the NAAATT will be doing is making airfare, accommodation, meals and ground transport free to them with the help of the T&T Olympic Committee, which has always assisted in the past.

2017 NAATT Championships

Venue: Hasely Crawford

Stadium, Mucurapo

NGC NAAAT&T

Juvenile Championships

June 3 -4

NGC NAAAT&T Junior

Championships June 10-11

NACAC Age-Group

Championships June 17-18

NGC/SAGICOR National Open Championships June 23-24

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