Cayman athletes ready for Delhi 2010

| 24/09/2010

(CNS): The Cayman Islands is sending seventeen of its top athletes to India in a few days to compete in the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi, India. The games will open on 3 October and will see the Commonwealth nations pitch their athletic prowess in more than 18 different sporting fields over two weeks. The Cayman Islands Olympic Committee said that the country’s athletes will be competing in track & field, swimming, shooting and squash. Some of the country’s biggest sporting names including several elite athletes will be out flying the flag in India with eye on the medal podium.

Cydonie Mothersill, will be competing in the 200m, Ronald Forbes in the 110m hurdles, and the 4x100m relay with David Hamil, who will also compete in the 200m, along with  Robert Ibeh who will run the 100m, 200m, as well as the 4x100m relay. Carl Morgan completes in the 4x100m relay team and he will also compete in the long jump. Michael Letterlough will be throwing the hammer while middle distance runner Jon Rankin will take on the 800m and 1500m.
Track & Field athletes will be supported by Team Manager Elizabeth Ibeh, and Coaches Kenrick Williams and Kareem Streete-Thompson.
 
Cayman’s elite swimming brothers will also hit the pool hoping to make the finals in their respective disciplines and fingers crossed the podium.  Shaune Fraser will swim the 50m free, 100m free, 200m free, 100m fly while brother Brett will also swim the 50m free, 100m free, 200m free, 100m back. Tori Flowers will be swimming the 200m free, 400m free, 800m free. The swimmers will be supported by Team Manager Sook Lee Eccles and Coach Anthony Nesty.
Team Manager Kevin Schirn will be crossing his fingers for Eddison McLean and Christopher Jackson who will be shooting in Skeet and Trap.
 
Marlene West Myron Blair Cameron Stafford  and Alexander Frazer will be taking part in the squash doubles supported by Team Manager Janet Sairsingh and Coach Daniel Kneipp.
 
The Cayman Islands team gear has been donated by Puma, with Polo shirts embroidered by Cayman Embroidery on Island. Games pins for the Commonwealth Games have been designed by Simon Barwick, which are as likely as ever to quickly become one of the most sort after pins from the array of nations competing in India this year.
 
The Commonwealth Games began in 1930 with 11 countries today there are 71 eligible countries that are sending some 7000 athletes to the games.
 
The Chef de Mission for Cayman is Jerris Miller, who will be assisted by a General Team Manager, Jeffrey Wight. Team Physiotherapist Al Bartice and Team Physical Trainer Brendan Touhey will work closely with all the athletes on the team and their coaches. CIOC President Donald McLean and Secretary General Carson Ebanks will attend the Games to support the team.
 
More information on the games can be found on the official website www.cwgdelhi2010.org.  

Category: Sports

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  1. noname says:

    What is wrong with the people that read this website? Why do the comments get so negative and nasty so quickly. The CIOC does an incredible job and these generous volunteers deserve to attend the Games along with the team coaches and managers.

    Perhaps it may help to know that the BVI team has 2 athletes and 14 officials going. Cayman’s team of (nearly all) amateur athletes and volunteer coaches and officials should be receiving resounding praise and well wishes. Go Cayman! 

  2. Donald McLean says:

    The Commonwealth Games are held every four years and awarded to the bidding city 7 years prior to the Games. Each Commonwealth country has a vote in deciding where the Games will be held.  There are 71 Commonwealth countries including Scotland, Wales, N. Ireland, England, Isle of Man, Guernsey, Jersey  which all compete as individual entities. The total cost of airfare and accommodation  for all athletes and officials is paid for by the organisers of the Games and does not cost the Cayman Islands Government any money. Additionally, each competing country was granted US$100,000.00 in 2006 by the Delhi 2010 Organizing Committee to prepare their respective teams for the Games. No official government representatives will be attending the Games from the Cayman Islands.

    The Cayman Islands Olympic Committee (CIOC) is a registered non-profit companyin the Cayman Islands and is affliliated with the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF), Pan American Spots Organization (PASO) and Central Amerrican and Caribbean Sport Organization (CACSO). The CIOC is totally independent from the Cayman Islands Government, but does receive an annual grant like other sporting associations on the island.  The Executive officers of the CIOC are elected every four years by the national sporting federations in the Cayman Islands and do not receive any salary or financial compensation. The CIOC is the body responsible for selecting, training, funding, outfitting and sending teams overseas to represent the Cayman Islands at multisport games. The CIOC maintains annual financial statements and is audited free of charge by Deliotte.

    Thank you for supporting sports in the Cayman Islands. It has been conclusively proven the sports has a significant impact in developing productive members of society.

    • Anonymous says:

      I am Fri 9:08. I thank Donald McLean for taking the trouble to provide all this very helpful information which as far as I am concerned demolishes my concerns as a taxpayer who resents the freebies so often available to what we call "government". It is not often that one gets such a detailed response to queries about where our money is or is not spent so all respect to Mr McLean and good luck to all the participants.

    • Ex-Sponsor says:

      Thanks for sharing. I wonder if you could possibly also let us know specifically which of the athletes the teams "Physical Trainer" has knowledge of and has worked with in the past and what qualifications that person has for such a role? It would be useful to know exactly where our sponsorship dollars are going.

      Also, do the athletes get to fly first class in order to best prepare for the Games or just the members of the Executive who I suppose need to be well rested upon arrival?

      Thanks

       

       

  3. Anonymous says:

    Who pays for all this – especially all those unnecessary officials? Probably the taxpayer as usual.

    • Anonymous says:

      Paid for through fundraising, corporate sponsors and the like, silly.

      Not everything comes from the taxpayers’ pocket.

      • Anonymous says:

        Sorry, 16:52, you would have to prove that to me if you are in the know and not just a blind supporter/family member. Carson Ebanks is a government chief officer – they never go anywhere without government paying for them. Unless you or someone else can show proof of non government grant/funding. the sceptics among us will believe we paid for it – or the most of it.And don’t forget, we can ask for an FOI answer on it.

  4. Anonymous says:

    Congratulations and best wishes to the athletes. Cayman is proud of you!

    In light of the huge negative publicity which the games have attracted since the collapse of the pedestrian bridge and the current deplorable state of some of the facilities, I trust the team’s management have done their bit to ensure that the accommodations and facilities are up to standards for the comfort and safety of our athletes.

  5. Anonymous says:

    Best of luck to all.

     

    However, this ( http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/commonwealth_games/delhi_2010/9025907.stm ) is what the state of the place has been. I should be better soon.

    Shetty’s hospital will be nothing like it in anyway whatsoever, not on your nelly, no siree.

    • Anonymous says:

      "Construction Phase" pictures were not taken by BBC staff but "are images, obtained by BBC Sport" (see the BBC article).  There may be pictures from buildings still under construction. Anyone who has constructed a new building knows that it is normal to have construction debris before the keys are handed over.  

       

  6. Anonymous says:

    All the best to all of the athletes – especially Ronald and Michael from your Cayman Brac fan.

  7. Concerned says:

     But is Delhi ready for the athletes?  I read that New Zealand, Canada and Scotland’s athletes have delayed their departures and England and Australia’s teams have gone to Singapore, rather than stay in Delhi.  Apparently the village is still under construction, conditions are dreadful and the place has been described as "shoddy and dangerous".  In addition, 2200 people in Delhi have been infected with dengue fever (10 times the norm for this time of year).  

    • Anon says:

      The Cayman athletes will feel at home then. 

    • noname says:

      I wouldn’t be overly concerned. With 16 athletes being lookedafter by 14 officials, they should be just fine.

       

    • Anonymous says:

      India is not an emerging nation.  It has aleady "emerged" as an economic power.  More Caymanian need to travel to India.  Puzzles me why our Premier did not make time to meet the real stakeholders there (as the Bermudian Premier did earlier this year)…our Premier sure had time to visit a private citizen who runs a hospital in Bangalore.  Not sure if it is protocol for a head of government would visit a foreign country to open a private business in that foreign country?  Perhaps the ‘protocol office’ would care to clarify.

    • Anonymous says:

      Let’s pray for their safety.  It doesn’t give you a good feeling knowing they are going across to participate in "the Games that the Host Nation Forgot".  In India they only care about Cricket…Cricket and Pakistan.  

      I hope that someone here made a proper assessment of our athletes’ safety and the viability of going. That’s an awful long way and dangerous place to go just for the hell of it.  If things work out then great, I wish them all the best in their sports but someone should be held accountable if the team’s safety was jeopardized.