IAAF World Championships begin September 27th
NASSAU, BAHAMAS- Despite losing one of its key members, the Bahamas International Association of Athletic Federations (IAAF) World Championship team still sits at nine.
Sprint-hurdler Pedrya Seymour bowed out of the competition this week to rehab an injury that will sideline her at least four weeks.
Terrence Jones will be her replacement. The junior 200-meter (m) national record holder received a late invitation based on the IAAF World Rankings and has been entered for the men’s 200m. His junior national record time of 20.43 seconds at the BAAA Senior National Championships in July was just three one-hundredths of a second off the world championships’ qualifying time. The only other Bahamian in the running for a possible invitation from the IAAF, long hurdler Jeffery Gibson, decided to shut down his season.
The IAAF World Championships begins on Friday at the renovated, multi-purpose Khalifa International Stadium in Doha, Qatar, and will run until October 6.
Leading up to the competition, there was a lot of uncertainty surrounding the team’s finances and whether or not the Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations (BAAA) could field the nine-member team it had ratified.
BAAA president Drumeco Archer said although they fell way short of the $116,000 originally targeted, they managed to get the team to Doha.
In a press statement last week, the ministry cited support for Team Bahamas, but fell short of the $116,000 target by the BAAA.
“We extend congratulations to the BAAA and the nine athletes who successfully qualified to perform at the world championships,” stated the ministry’s press release. “As is practiced, in relation to this event, the ministry has extended the offer of approved provisions made available to assist the BAAA and our athletes for the purpose of offsetting specific associated expenses based on the government’s policy of fiscal prudence, and in compliance with current budgetary procedures and protocols.
“Our athletes are resilient. However, we have learned that this is the smallest contingent of athletes from The Bahamas participating in these championships, and unfortunately, that no relay teams have qualified to represent the country this time around.”
During the 52nd sitting of the congress, scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday, the IAAF will hold its election of officers. Mike Sands will also officially be introduced as the new president of the North American and Central American and Caribbean (NACAC), and long-time coach Ronald Cartwright will become the latest Bahamian to receive his Veterans Pin from the IAAF.
