Over 175 athletes from 16 countries including the USA and Canada will turn out to compete in the North American, Central American and Caribbean Area (NACAC) Cross Country Championships at the Mt Irvine Golf Course, Tobago on March 6. This was announced at a press conference at the Mount Irvine Hotel yesterday morning. The event, hosted by the National Association of Athletic Administration, will consist of an 8K for Senior Men, a 6K for Junior Men and Senior Women and a 4K run for Junior Women.
NAAA president Ephraim Serrette said it would be the first time the Championships are hosted in the Caribbean. Chairman of the Local Organising Committee Dexter Voisin admitted that after inspecting several venues around T&T, the decision to host the event at Mt Irvine was unanimous. "It's always great to bring events to Tobago and you could not choose a more ideal location than the Mt Irvine Golf Course," he said. "Considering the island's success in hosting the 2005 Carifta Games, it was not difficult decision."
According to Voisin, who has attended the last three versions of the event in Orlando, Florida, several departments of the Tobago House of Assembly will be involved in planning and staging the Championships, which he described as an "opportunity to showcase the island for what it is." He added that Tobago, with its appealing natural features, was an ideal destination for sporting tourism and the Canadian team had requested to arrive two weeks in advance. The event is expected to raise $370,000 in sponsorship from the combined support from sponsors like Digicel, Blue Waters, the National Gas Company, Tobago United Auto Rentals and the National Lotteries Control Board (NLCB).