CAC Junior athletes set to shine

The competition ends on Sunday with the hosts fielding a team of 58 athletes managed by Lucretia Burns.

Among the medal hopefuls are Rhonda Watkins of Bishop Anstey High School, who will contest the Girls’ long and high jump events.

Watkins was impressive in winning gold medals in both events at the recent National Junior Championship at the Dwight Yorke Stadium in Tobago.

Burns, the aunt-in-law of national sprinter Marc Burns, said she expects Watkins to improve on her performances at the weekend.

Defending champion in the shot put and discus, Annie Alexander will also carry the hopes of the homesters in the Under-20 Division.

And Rennie Quow is tipped to mount the podium also in the the one-lap event (400 metres).

Keston Bledman is Trinidad and Tobago’s main hope in the feature 100 metres sprint on the fast Mondo track. Bledman secured bronze at the World Youth Championship in Morocco last year.

Among the Under-17 girls, Cadajah Spencer is also favoured to do well in her speciality — the 100 and 200 metres sprints.

Burns said the team will hold their final practice session this morning at 10 am at the Larry Gomes Stadium in Malabar Arima.

Meanwhile, the Hasely Crawford Stadium was handed over to the National Amateur Athletic Association (NAAA) yesterday ending days of speculation on whether it will be ready for the opening ceremony today at 4 pm.

Yesterday the lanes were marked out completing the $10 million refurbishment project by Mundo and Italian company ASL.

Rain had seriously hampered the project and threatened its completion date.

Ken Doldron, president of the NAAA said yesterday athletes were allowed to use the Larry Gomes Stadium in Malabar and the Ato Boldon Stadium, Couva to fine-tune their preparations for the competition.