Fana bows out Paris ‘worlds’

TRINIDAD and Tobago’s leading female sprinter Fana Ashby has been forced to pull out of the team for the World Champion-ships in Paris, France. This was revealed yesterday by Ken Doldron, president of the National Amateur Athletics Association (NAAA). Ashby returned home recently after competing at the Pan American Games in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. She finished eighth in the 100 metres final and also ran in the 4x100 metres relay team where they established a new national record. Ashby, the Central American and Caribbean Senior champion was forced to withdraw from the TT team because of illness after contracting food poisoning in Santo Domingo. Doldron said yesterday that Ashby, who competed in the Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia did not recover as quickly as she would have liked from the food poisoning. Also her situation has been complicated by her seeking transfer from Kansas City University to  Auburn University, the school of Pan Am gold medal swimmer George Bovell, world junior sprint champion  Darryl Browne and Marc Burns. “She has to attend to this important matter and the timing would not allow her to get to Paris on time for the sprint races,” said Doldron yesterday.

Trinidad and Tobago will be represented by an eight-member team led by former world 200 metres champion and quadruple Olympic medallist Ato Boldon. He will be joined by Darryl Brown, Marc Burns, Niconnor Alexander, Jacey Harper, Julieon Raeburn, Candace Scott and Onika James. Scott is a bronze medallist in the Pan Am Games in Santo Domingo where she broke the Games record in the hammer throw while James is a long jumper who has attained the “A” qualifying standard for the World Championships. Two other athletes, quarter-milers Ato Modibo and Damoen Barry also reached the “B” qualifying standard but opted out of the Paris Champion-ships since they felt they were not quite ready to face the top guns. Doldron leaves tomorrow for the sun-baked French capital as leader of the three-man delegation for the International Asso-ciation of Athletics Federations (IAAAF) Congress starting on Monday.
He will be accompanied by team manager George Commis-siong and coach Dr Ian Hypolite. Heading the IAAF agenda is the election of officers. Current president Lamine Diack is assured of another four-year term as he has been nominated unopposed. Trinidad and Tobago is expected to be vaulted into the international spotlight at a Caribbean Night when Doldron and his fellowmen will take the opportunity to showcase their culture, hospitality, food and world acclaimed rum.