Local track and field technical officials, John "Slim" Andalcio, Janelle Edwards and Michelle Stoute, have been appointed to senior officiating positions for the upcoming Carifta Games to be held in Kingston, Jamaica from April 16-18.

T&T is expected to send a large contingent to the premier youth track and field event according to a release from the National Association of Athletics Administration of T&T (NAAATT). Several athletes have already attained the qualification standard in their respective events after just two development meets hosted by NAAATT.

Andalcio and Edwards have been appointed Area International Technical Officials (AITOs) and Stoute has been appointed Area International Photo-Finish Judge.

The release stated: "These appointments are among the more senior positions one can find at any international meet and is testimony to the quality of officials we have here in T&T. As AITOs, Andalcio and Edwards are expected to take responsibility for activities relating to a specific event group on the programme and to serve as Referee for that event group. Stoute, as the Area International Photo Finish Judge, will be required to supervise all photo-finish functions and to serve as the Chief Photo-Finish Judge."

Andalcio is head coach of Toco TAFAC which caters for athletes from Toco and surrounding communities. He is credited for the early development of 2012 London Olympics gold medallist in men's javelin, Keshorn Walcott and more recently 2020 Tokyo Olympics shot-put finalist, Portious Warren. He is no stranger to senior officiating assignments, having served in a similar capacity at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland in 2014. It will be his eighth such assignment in the North American, Central American and Caribbean (NACAC) region.

Although relatively new to officiating, Edwards has gained considerable experience through rotation across various positions at local meets. She has served locally as both track referee and field referee. This would be her third regional assignment, having served previously in Cayman Islands and in Canada.

Stoute, currently NAAATT's assistant general secretary, is more widely known as an Anti-Doping Officer, having served in that capacity at various regional meets and was an International Doping Control Officer (IDCO) at the London 2012 and Rio 2016 Olympics. Tokyo 2020 would have been her third Olympics but owing to challenges with flight arrangements whilst our borders were closed, she had to eventually decline the assignment. She is a key member of the photo-finish team at local meets ensuring that athletes are properly entered, assigned to heats, progressed through the various rounds and that results are properly recorded.

The release added: "NAAATT congratulates these officials on their assignments and extend best wishes for all success at the Carifta Games."