The North American, Central American and Caribbean Athletics Association (NACAC) is launching its first-ever Technical Managers Certification Course, and two representatives from Antigua and Barbuda are on site to take part in this landmark training initiative.
Jamille Nelson, first vice president of the Antigua and Barbuda Athletic Association (ABAA) and chair of the organization’s Technical Committee, and Sonia Williams, an ordinary ABAA member who also sits on the Technical Committee, are representing the Caribbean nation at the four-day professional development event. The training program kicked off on October 13 and is scheduled to wrap up on October 16 in Santo Domingo, the capital city of the Dominican Republic.
Per details released by the ABAA, the certification course was crafted to fill a critical gap in regional athletics development. It aims to arm participating officials with both the theoretical knowledge and hands-on practical competencies needed to serve effectively as technical managers at track and field competitions of all levels. A core focus of the curriculum is mastering the consistent, correct application of global competition standards set out by World Athletics, the governing body for international track and field. By working through the course content, attending officials will build up their capacity to manage all technical components of events, from equipment calibration to course measurement and rule enforcement.
For Antigua and Barbuda’s local athletics association, sending Nelson and Williams to this inaugural course aligns with its long-standing strategic goal. The ABAA emphasized that this investment in professional development underscores its unwavering commitment to elevating the quality of athletics administration and event delivery across the twin-island nation. Before the pair departed for the Dominican Republic, the ABAA extended its formal well wishes for a productive and successful training experience. Local athletics stakeholders expect that the new credentials and expertise Nelson and Williams bring back home will significantly boost the level of technical skill within Antigua and Barbuda’s national athletics administration, paving the way for better-organized local and regional competitions in the years ahead.