SVG names team to 2014 Commonwealth Games
St Vincent and the Grenadines will be represented in five disciplines at this yearâs Commonwealth Games set for Glasgow, Scotland from July 23 to August 4.{{more}}
The disciplines are track and field, swimming, table tennis, cycling and squash.
The athletes representing track and field are Kineke Alexander, Courtney Williams, Courtney Bascombe, Reuberth Boyde, Delhonni Samuel-Nicol, Brandon Parris, Kimorie Shearman and Josh Hamilton.
Representing swimming are Shne Joachim, Adora Lawrence, Nikolas Sylvester, Storm Halbich, Kyle Dougan, Storm Gooding and Dillon Gooding.
Two cyclists, Cammie Adams and Orano Andrews will make the trip, while table tennis has Kavier de Shong, Sean Stanley, Romano Spencer and Unica Velox as its representatives. The squash players selected are Jason Doyle, Othneil Bailey, Jules Snagg, James Bentick and Kevin Hannaway.
The team officials are track and field – Tyrone James and Chester Morgan; table tennis – Orville Haslam; swimming – Kim Halbich and cycling – Emmerson Holder.
Jacintha Ballantyne is the chief of mission, with Stephen Joachim, the general team manager.
This is the 11th time that St Vincent and the Grenadines is participating in the Commonwealth Games.
St Vincent and the Grenadines debuted at the 1958 games held in Cardiff, Wales. At that time, the games were known as the Empire Games.
Making the maiden entry at the 1958 Games was Elton Anderson, who contested the 100 and 200 yards events. The other members were Godfrey Roberts, who competed in the Long and High Jumps and Sap Coombs, the manager.
Anderson is the lone survivor of that inaugural sojourn for St Vincent and the Grenadines.
But, St Vincent and the Grenadines had to wait until 1970 to attain its first medal, when George Manners earned a bronze in weightlifting. Manners competed in the 90 kg combined category, when the games touched down in Edinburgh, Scotland.
Then, in 1974, 20-year-old Frankie Lucas copped the gold medal in boxing. Fighting in the 75 kg (middleweight) category, Lucas beat Zambiaâs Julius Luipa via the knockout route in Christchurch, New Zealand.
Reports are that Lucas, a former resident of New Montrose, moved to England at the age of six years. There he developed his skill in boxing and represented his adopted country; however, he was rejected by England for the 1974 Commonwealth Games.
He chose the other option, that is to be the lone competitor to fly the flag of St Vincent and the Grenadines.
The other gold medal achieved by St Vincent and the Grenadines was claimed by Natasha Mayers in the womenâs 100m in 2010. After placing third in the event, Mayers was elevated to the top spot, because of disqualification of the previous first and second places.(RT)
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