The 2021 CARIFTA Swimming Championships that was previously scheduled to take place from March 26 to April 7 has been postponed indefinitely due to the growing cases of COVID-19 in Barbados.
On Wednesday (27 January), Barbados Amateur Swimming Association (BASA) President Cheryl Lady Forde issued a statement on why the decision was made.
“An Executive decision was taken this evening by the BASA to postpone Carifta 2021 after a review of the current COVID-19 situation in Barbados and by extension, in the region,” said Forde.
Barbados has recorded over 1,000 new covid cases since the the beginning of the year. The overwhelming number prompted Prime Minister Mia Mottley to announce new measures including an 11-hour daily curfew and a two-week lockdown of the island.
“It was agreed that a new date would be decided after the “national pause”- lockdown that is expected to end on February 17th, and after we have had an opportunity to meet with the COVID-19 Monitoring Unit,” Forde added.
Earlier this month, Stingray Swim Club Head Coach David Pursley said he knew the postponement of the championships was a possibility and the Cayman Islands Amateur Swimming Association have been preparing accordingly.
“If we can’t get Carifta to go through, we will definitely do something on island and potentially in the Brac again,” said Pursley. “We should in next month or so, start making plans going into Easter.”
Additionally, Forde stated BASA will move “swiftly” and hopes to have an update by “the end of February, if not sooner.”
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