22 Hubert Lawrence/ Gleaner Writer FIRST-TIME CARIFTA Games head coach Keilando Goburn is delighted with his team’s 78-medal performance at their recent Carifta Games in the Bahamas. However, Goburn says it was tough to get the athletes going after ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys and Girls’ Athletics Championships the previous week. Speaking moments after the closing ceremony in Nassau, the St Jago High School girls’ team head coach recounted, “Last week, they were on a high and then to get them back to another high was extremely difficult. There was a lot of fatigue, a lot of niggles, so we had to spend a lot of time managing those niggles.” With the Penn Relays around the corner and the Pan-Am Under-20 Championships just over the horizon in August, Goburn and his coaching colleagues played it safe. “We had to make some crucial decisions to pull some persons from events, you know, just to preserve them and tomake sure they can finish their season healthy.” Notably, under-20 100-metre champion Alana Reid stood down from the 200 metres, where she was a medal favourite. “But you know, at the end of the day, I thought it was a triangular effort. From the athletes, coaching staff, and of course, the management team, and once again, well done Jamaica,” said Goburn. The last day of the April 8-10 regional event started with a demonstration of Jamaica’s prowess in the sprint hurdles. Although the track was wet fromheavy showers, Bryanna Davidson and Camoy THE WEEKLY GLEANER | APRIL 17 - MAY 23, 2023 | www.jamaica-gleaner.com | SPORTS First-time Carifta head coach forced to play it safe From left: Keilando Goburn, the head coach of Jamaica’s 2023 Carifta Games team, points during a discussion with technical leader, David Riley, Jeremy Delisser, and Dave Anderson at the Thomas A Robinson Stadium in Nassau on April 10. Roshawn Clarke Alexis James PLEASE SEE CARIFTA, 23
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