PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC – Trinidad and Tobago coach Kelvin Nancoo believes his charges “scared” Jamaica in the relays during last weekend’s 49th CARIFTA Games in Kingston, but lacked enough “artillery” to properly challenge the powerhouses.
The Trinidadians picked up three medals in the sprint relays on day two of the meet and returned to snatch two in the distance relays on the final day.
Jamaica swept all eight relay gold in yet another dominant performance by the hosts as they collected an unprecedented 92 medals.
“I’m very satisfied after coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic,” relay coach Nancoo told the Guardian newspaper here.
“These guys really put out their best and they really, in terms of heart, in terms of performances, they did very well for T&T. They gave it their all. They left everything on the track.
“I think basically we were not as fit as the Jamaicans but we scared them three times in the relays – three times when they had to fight us.
“But in terms of baton passing we were better than they were, just they had the artillery that we didn’t have.” T&T clinched bronze in the girls Under-17 4×100 metres in 48.19 seconds, silver in the boys equivalent in 42.77 and bronze in the Under-20 girls in 46.12.
In the 4x400s, T&T produced an outstanding performance in the Under-17 boys to claim silver in three minutes, 18.89 seconds before again challenging the Jamaicans and taking silver in the Under-20 equivalent in a time of 3:09.67.
“I thought that the runs of the relay teams, the 4x4s, were superb,” Nancoo continued.
“Jamaica had to fight and get to us at the last 15m, 20m and that is excellent coming from a team that had to train for just barely three weeks. We have done extremely well.”
Trinidad and Tobago ended the meet with 23 medals – two gold, 10 silver and 11 bronze – while the Bahamas finished with 17 medals and Barbados, 11.
Keeran Sriskandarajah won gold in the boys Under-17 1 500 metres in 4:10.58 ahead of Guyana’s Javon Roberts (4:12.54) while Aaron Antoine reaped success in the boys Under-20 high jump with a measurement of 2.16 metres to hold off Jamaican Brandon Pottinger (2.14).
Head coach Reynold Porter Lee said T&T’s success represented a triumph over circumstances.
“The team’s overall performance at the 49th CARIFTA Games was one of excellence, especially coming out of a situation created by the COVID-19 pandemic where sports and sporting activities were not allowed to take place,” he pointed out.
“This performance of purpose and dedication to achieve goals set for themselves in collaboration with their coaches and parents have earned us a tally of 23 medals [and] a fourth-place finish.
“This result I would rate as one of the best we have accomplished under the circumstances we faced over the last two years.”
