Cayman sending largest ever team to Glasgow

(CNS): A 28 strong team of local athletes competing in seven different sports will be heading to Glasgow this summer to represent Cayman at the 2014 Commonwealth Games which start on 23 July and last until 3 August. The athletes will compete in Athletics, Boxing, Cycling, Gymnastics, Shooting, Squash and Swimming. The athletes, most of which are familiar faces on the national and international sports scene, are the largest group of sports men and women the country has ever sent to a commonwealth games across the most sports. From sprinter Kemar Hyman and hurdler Ronald Forbes to Tafari Ebanks inthe boxing ring and Brett Fraser in pool fingers will be crossed for a medal or two.

“This is the largest team that we have ever sent to a Commonwealth Games, in more sports than ever represented and we’re extremely excited to support our athletes who have worked so hard to get here,” said CIOC President Donald McLean.  

Cayman is entering the competition on a high, as track star Cydonie Mothersill-Stephens won the first Gold medal for the Cayman Islands at the Delhi 2010 Commonwealth Games.  Mothersill-Stephens, who recently retired, said she is now s content to be watching from the sidelines this year. “I have accomplished what I’ve wanted to accomplish, which was to bring home a Gold medal, and I am excited to watch all of our athletes compete this summer.” 

Mothersill-Stephens who is the Meet Director of the Cayman Invitational but is now heavily involved in the administration for the Cayman Islands Amateur Athletics Association as the First Vice President said she hopes to use her years of experience on the track to benefit Cayman’s youth.

There are only 53 members of the Commonwealth of Nations but 70 teams participate in the Commonwealth Games as a number of British Overseas Territories such as the Cayman Islands, Crown dependencies, and island states compete under their own flag.  The four Home Nations of the United Kingdom—England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland—also send separate teams. Apart from many Olympic sports, additional sports that are played largely in Commonwealth countries, such as Squash and Netball, are included in the competition schedule for Glasgow.

The Opening Ceremony for the 2014 Games will take place on July 23 with the Closing Ceremony planned for 3 August

Members of the Cayman team are as follows:

Athletics:
Alexander Pascal
Ashleigh Nalty
Carl Morgan
Carlos Morgan
David Hamil
Kemar Hyman
Rhymiech Adolphus
Ronald Forbes
Troy Long
Tyrell Cuffy

Boxing:
Tafari Ebanks

Cycling:
Michele Smith

Gymnastics:
Bethany Dikau

Shooting:
Andrew Schirn
Christopher Jackson
Edison McLean

Squash:
Cameron Stafford
Daniel Murphy
Eilidh Bridgeman
Julian Jervis
Marlene West
Myron Blair

Swimming:
Alex McCallum
Brett Fraser
David Ebanks
Geoffrey Butler
Lara Butler
Lauren Hew

For pictures and immediate information on the Cayman Islands delegation at the Commonwealth Games visit website http://www.caymanolympic.org.ky or the Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/CaymanIslandsOlympicCommittee

The Commonwealth was first held in 1930 and has taken place every four years ever since (except 1942 and 1946 which were cancelled due to World War II).  The Commonwealth Games are described as the third largest multi-sport event in the world, after the Olympic Games and the Asian Games. The Games are overseen by the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF), which also controls the sporting program and selects the host cities. The costs of hosting the event will be shared by the CGF and the host city, while the travel costs of athletes and coaches are paid by the CGF.
For more information visit the Official Website for the Games: https://www.glasgow2014.com/