BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – The Leader of the Opposition People’s Action Movement Mr. Lindsay Grant applauded and praised the efforts of all the young athletes who participated in the 37th CARIFTA games hosted in St. Kitts and Nevis.
“I am immensely proud of the performances of all our athletes at the 37th CARIFTA Games particularly Ms. Meritza Williams who won two silver medals in the 100m and 200m sprints, Vannessa Bennet in the under 17, 200m sprint event and the under 17, 4 x 100m and 4 x 400m girls relay teams which got silver medals in their events,” the PAM Leader said.
The volunteers at the games were also commended for their efforts in making the games the success and spectacle that it was.
“I must also commend the 100 plus volunteers who gave of their time and effort to make these games a success, Grant said. “The St. Kitts and Nevis Athletic Association under the leadership of Mr. Rapheal Jenkins along with the LOC under the chairmanship of Mr. Lester Hanley must be given praise for their efforts in staging an event of this magnitude,” Grant continued
Mr. Grant said, “The development of athletics has always been a vision of the People’s Action Movement. It was the People’s Action Movement under the leadership of Dr. The Rt. Hon. Sir Kennedy Simmonds that gave local athletics their first and second big boost when they facilitated the hosting of the best OECS Track and Field Championship ever in 1990 and then the commitment of $1 million in early 1995 to Mission Atlanta which saw St. Kitts and Nevis being represented for the first time at the Olympic Games in 1996.”
It was at the Atlanta Olympics where Kim Collins emerged and burst onto the international athletic scene when he reached the quarterfinals in the 100m. Collins has since then been a finalist at every Olympic games.
