World U20 youngsters close to return

All but one of the nine Jamaican athletes who had to stay behind in Kenya after the World Under-20 Championships, because they tested positive for COVID-19, have been cleared to leave the country following negative tests results and are due to arrive home later this week.

Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association (JAAA) vice-president, Ian Forbes, welcomed the update and believes they will be able to get clearance for the other athlete later this week.

“Ninety five per cent of them (athletes) have been cleared of COVID-19. Those who are cleared to travel will pretty much travel as soon as flights become available, and whoever is not cleared as yet will travel as soon as they are cleared,” Forbes said.

The athletes, who travelled to represent Jamaica at the August 18-22 championship in Nairobi, were tested every four days of their quarantine period, and following their latest results on Monday, the majority produced the required result to end their isolation and gain their permit to travel back to Jamaica.

However, Forbes admitted that it has been difficult to secure suitable travel arrangements for the athletes.

“The pandemic has made it difficult to travel so a lot depend on the route they have to take and the availability of flights. So it has been difficult to get the right flights and the right routes,” said Forbes. “But based on the latest information, we anticipate that by this weekend they will be back. If not everybody, at least 95 per cent of the delegation.

“The first group should be here by Thursday or Friday, and I am expecting that by this weekend the other (athlete) should be here, so it is almost over. They are almost all in the clear,” he stated.

Senior team doctor for Jamaica’s team to the World Under-20 Championships, Dr David Walcott, was unable to talk in detail but confirmed that eight of the youngsters were on their way home.

LAST MAN STANDING

“The team is en route home. I am the last man standing. I’m still in Nairobi with one athlete. We are likely to leave on Thursday. We will be home at the end of the week,” Walcott commented.

The World Youth Championships ended in Kenya on August 22 but due to their positive COVID-19 status, the nine young Jamaicans had to remain in isolation in that country for the last two weeks.

Two senior team officials, including Walcott, stayed behind with the athletes.

livingston.scott@gleanerjm.com