Record entries for Portland Canoe Tournament
Published:Wednesday | October 12, 2022 | 12:10 AMLivingston Scott/Gleaner Writer
‘DI OLE Marina’ beach in Portland comes alive for the next five days with the staging of the Port Antonio Canoe Tournament, which sails off today at 7:00 a.m., and the 59th International Marlin Fishing Tournament, which also begins today.
A record 53 entries are down to contest today’s canoe tournament, while approximately 180 fisherfolk will participate over the five-day event.
Daney-Ann Thomas, president and CEO of Portland Chamber of Commerce, the organisers of the event, said the two-year absence of the event left a void and that participants were eager to get out on the water and compete again.
“We weren’t able to have the competition as we would like during the pandemic, so the fishermen are very excited. Most of them just come every year to meet their friends from other parishes and to have a good time.
“It has not been held since 2020 and they are now really looking forward to that as we look to get back to normal as much as possible.
“We do not know what to reaĺly expect (from public) but those that come will find it relaxing and will enjoy a fantastic event,” she said.
Thomas, the first female president of the 50-year-old business group after she was elected president of the chamber in 2012 at 31 years old, noted that the tournament organisers have pulled out all the stops to ensure they have a safe and entertaining event, while pointing out that the partnership with new sponsor West Indies Petroleum Limited (WIPL) has assisted with the expansion of the event.
“The organisers have really done a fantastic job to ensure that they have put everything in place for the production of the event.
“I do not expect anything to be done any less than the standard expected, and that is what has driven the organisers to ensure that things are well organised.
“This is the first in a few years we will be able to have it without restrictions. We hope to use the competition to drive the community to become a part of the contest,” she reasoned.
Competitors will come from five main parishes, St Thomas, Portland, St Mary, St Ann, St James and Trelawny and she expects the usual suspects to be challenging for the top prizes.
“We have the longest-running canoe competition locally. When the St James tournament is over, from time to time, we have fishermen from that parish who enter and we have had a lot of support from St Mary.
“The Oracabessa fishermen always play a strong part in the tournament. They are usually in the top three every year.