As one of the most anticipated regional track and field competitions on the Caribbean sports calendar approaches, Barbados’ delegation to the 2024 CARIFTA Games has kicked off its journey to host nation Grenada, with athletes and coaching staff carrying strong morale and quiet confidence into the April 3-6 tournament.
Team manager Angela Jackson shared updates on the squad’s preparations and mindset with local outlet Barbados TODAY on departure day at Grantley Adams International Airport. The first contingent, made up of 42 competing athletes, departed Barbados on the scheduled timeline, while the remaining 18 team members are scheduled to arrive in Grenada within 24 hours to join the group. Jackson was among the officials accompanying the first batch, alongside co-manager Duante Harvey, Athletics Association of Barbados president Noel Lynch and multiple lead coaches. First-time and returning competitors alike completed their pre-departure check-in procedures, with many first-time athletes accompanied by family members as they prepared for the biggest regional meet of their young careers so far.
Jackson emphasized that the entire squad is brimming with excitement to compete on the Grenada track, describing the overall team mood as consistently positive heading into the championships. “The mood is very good. The athletes are all excited and looking forward to arriving in Grenada and giving of their very best,” she noted.
When asked about potential medal expectations for the Barbados team, Jackson declined to make any concrete predictions on the team’s final medal haul, but highlighted that the 2024 delegation has strong, well-balanced depth across events, particularly in the Under-20 division. Instead of focusing on pre-set medal targets, the coaching and management staff’s core goal is to encourage every athlete to perform to the best of their personal ability. “I can agree that the team is very strong in certain areas, and all that we can do is to expect them to give of their best. Of course, I am not going to touch on any medals prediction whatsoever. We are just encouraging each and everyone on the team to give of their best and once that is done we will be quite satisfied,” Jackson explained.
She also reflected on the team’s preparation cycle, noting that the build-up to CARIFTA was largely smooth, despite facing minor time constraints caused by the tight gap between the Barbados Secondary Schools Athletics Championships (BSSAC) and this year’s regional tournament. Due to the compressed timeline, the team was only able to host one mandatory pre-competition workshop focused on anti-doping education, a critical session given that nearly a third of the squad are first-time CARIFTA competitors. Coaching staff have been working closely with these rookie athletes to help them adjust to the higher stakes of regional competition and get into the right competitive frame of mind before the opening event.
Beyond the official delegation, dozens of parents, friends and local sports supporters were present at the airport to send off the team, with many of these well-wishers also planning to travel to Grenada in the coming days to cheer on the Barbados squad throughout the four-day championships.