As the Virgin Islands (VI) athletics team head off to the Cayman Islands for the 2019 edition of the Carifta Game, team members were told to “Visualize your race,” by President of the BVI Athletics Association (BVAA) Mr Steve Augustine. Photo: VINO

BVIAA President, Steve Augustine, Sports Officials and Acting Premier and Minister for Sports Dr the Honourable Natalio D. Wheatley (R7). Photo: VINO

On the sponsorship side, Puma continues to be one of the team’s main supporters, outfitting them with clothing and other gears for the game, “As the relationship with Puma is going very strong they have been very friendly with us and we have been very responsive with them and we want to go out there and show them that the BVI is a team that they want to continue to sponsor,” he said. Photo: Internet Source

Repeating the words of the late grate athletics coach, Xavier Samuels aka “Dag”, Mr Augustine further told the fifteen-member team of athletes, “Whether you do it today, tomorrow, whenever works for you, you want to do it with your coach, whenever it is but I think it is very important that you sit back and visualize the event that you are going to contest.”

Make Us Proud – Mr Augustine

Mr Augustine was at the time addressing the athletes, their coaches and members of the media on Tuesday, April 9, 2019, at a press conference at the A.O. Shirley Recreational Ground ahead of their departure to the games yesterday, April 11, 2019.

“Take those words very very seriously, visualize your race,” he stressed, “I ask you to conduct yourself in a way that will make all of us proud. Remember that you are not just representing yourself now. You are going away to represent the British Virgin Islands and you have to be ambassadors." 

Present for the address to the youths and their coaches was Acting Premier and Minister for Sports, Dr the Honourable Natalio D. Wheatley (R7).

He told the athletes, “if you put in the work you will see the results in athletics and it doesn’t matter how big a country another athlete comes from…. And despite the fact that you may be from a small dot on the map, you can, if you work hard, compete and win against athletes from all of these bigger countries.”

The Sports Minister further implored, “It has to be a good feeling to be from such a small country and to defeat athletes from countries which are much bigger. “

VI Carifta Games?

The Acting Premier also congratulated the BVIAA and the BVIOA for the links used in securing assistance in restoring sports in the territory after the 2017 hurricanes and the works they continue to do with and for the athletes of the territory. To date, the VI has grabbed up a total of 45 medals at the Games.

The Minister noted some planned upgrades he is working towards for the A.O. Shirley Recreational Ground and cognizant of the mark the territory has made in the games over the years, Mr Augustine charge the Acting Premier by saying, “We would certainly like to hold the Carifta games here… I want to plant that seed with you and hopefully, we can bring that to fruition sometime from heron forth.”

On the sponsorship side, Puma continues to be one of the team’s main supporters, outfitting them with clothing and other gears for the game, “As the relationship with Puma is going very strong they have been very friendly with us and we have been very responsive with them and we want to go out there and show them that the BVI is a team that they want to continue to sponsor,” he said.

See full list of team members below: 

Under 17 boys

Jaleel Croal 100m and 200m

Orlando Douglas - Discus

Khybah Dawson - Long Jump

Under 17 girls

Akrisa Eristee 400m, 4 x 400m

Kaelyaah Liburd 400m

Palesa Caesar Discus

Ariah Smith 4 x 100m and 4 x 400m

Jahtivya Williams 4 x 100m and 4 x 400m

Akeela McMaster 4 x 100m and 4 x 400m

Amia Todman 4 x 100m and 4 x 400m

Under 20 Boys

Djimon and Diamante Gumbs - Shot put/Discus

Chaz Fahie - 800m

Joshua Hill - 200m and 400m

Under 20 Female

Arianna Hayde - Heptathlon

Beyonce DeFreitas - 200m