THE 2021 edition of the Carifta Track and Field Championships, scheduled for Bermuda, has been cancelled.

This is the second straight year that the premier regional junior track and field meet has been scrapped. Bermuda was due to stage the 2020 Carifta Games, but it was delayed by a year due to the covid19 pandemic.

According to a media release from NACAC (North American, Central American and Caribbean Athletics Association), the decision to cancel the 2021 Carifta Games was “based on the covid19 regulations outlined by Bermuda.”

The Bermuda Government “has maintained that the 14-day quarantine for unvaccinated visitors is non-negotiable, making it highly impractical for there to be an Under-17 category as is the norm, and for NACAC to stage the region’s premier junior track and field meet.”

The meet is usually held during the Easter weekend, but this year’s edition was initially postponed to July 2-4 and then to August 13-15. “Now, Carifta 2021 has been struck from the NACAC calendar,” the media release said.

“To the region’s young athletes, keep training,” the NACAC release added. “For those who are eligible for the July 9-11 NACAC Under-18 and Under-21 Championships in San Jose, Costa Rica, we encourage you to maintain focus on this competition.”