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ASAJ hopes CARIFTA success is catalyst for improved support

Published:Thursday | April 28, 2011 | 12:00 AM
Members of the Jamaica CARIFTA Games swimming contingent, with vice-president Martin Lyn (second left) and lead swimmers Timothy Wynter and Kendese Nangle (standing at centre with medals around neck), pose upon arrival at the Norman Manley Airport yesterday. The team was returning from Barbados, where they won 34 medals to place fourth in the overall points standings. - Ian Allen/Photographer

Ryon Jones, Gleaner Writer

Jamaica's 35-member team of swimmers returned to the island yesterday, having captured 34 medals at the 26th staging of the CARIFTA Swimming Championships, held in Barbados on April 23-26. The team's medal haul consisted of 10 gold, 13 silver and 11 bronze.

The team finished fourth in the overall points standings, having amassed 561 points. The standings were topped by Guadeloupe (736.5), Trinidad and Tobago (679) and The Bahamas (610).

Jamaica, however, finished above hosts Barbados by a point. At last year's staging, the Barbadians finished above hosts Jamaica, who on that occasion managed 22 medals to finish fifth.

The Jamaican contingent had faced serious challenges in making the trip to Barbados, due to financial constraints. The full 40-member contingent was, however, able to make the trip, thanks to sponsorship received from Hi-Lyte, Supreme Ventures, Island Grill, Ensure, All About Fitness, LIME, Jamaica Money Market Brokers, Jamaica Boilers, ATL Automotive and the Sports Development Foundation.

Amateur Swimming Association of Jamaica's (ASAJ) first vice-president, Martin Lyn, is optimistic that the achievement of the young swimmers will encourage the current sponsors to renew their support and for others to come on board.

far way to go

"This proves that swimming has a far way to go, we have just proven to the Caribbean that we are a force to be reckoned with," Lyn stated.

"We achieved a much better standing than we did last year and ... we also came fourth, which is an upward move, so we are showing corporate Jamaica that we are here to stay," he added.

Jamaica's head coach, Nathan Brown, believes the team finished one medal short of the projected amount. This could, however, still be realised as Jamaica is challenging the 15-17 girls relay team's disqualification from their event, which they had comfortably won.

"We finished one medal short as we were looking at 35 or 36 medals," Brown shared.

"But the team did excellent, we couldn't have asked for more. They showed drive and courage and they fought for what they wanted and they deserve the spot they got," he added.

Jamaica's top performers were Kendese Nangle and Timothy Wynter. Nangle finished with eight medals (five gold, one silver and two bronze) to be named the top overall female swimmer, while Wynter copped 10 medals (four gold, five silver and one bronze).

A number of the swimmers will now turn their attention to the Central American and Caribbean Confederation (CCCAN) Swim-ming Championships, which will be held in Puerto Rico in the last week of June.

"CCCAN is next on the agenda and, hopefully, the school system allows us to keep on grooming them with training, because that is where we had the problem, schooling and training," Brown expressed.