The Anguilla Amateur Athletic Federation was host to the World Athletics President, Lord Sebastian Coe, who visited the island earlier this week.
Lord Coe travelled to Anguilla on Tuesday, January 9th, with his Assistant, Helen Delany, Director of International Relations. They were both warmly greeted at the Blowing Point Port by Government Ministers and Sports officials.
At a press conference on Wednesday, January 10th, Minister of Sports, Ms. Dee-Ann Kentish-Rogers, introduced Lord Coe and Ms. Helen Delany to the media. Also present at the news briefing was the President of the Anguilla Amateur Athletics Federation, Mrs. Lorna Rogers.
Mrs. Rogers noted that the visit of Lord Coe had been a long awaited, much anticipated one that has finally happened. “As President of the Anguilla Amateur Athletic Federation, I wish to thank Lord Coe and Ms. Delany for taking time out of their busy schedules to visit us here in Anguilla.”
“As he is governing over some two hundred countries world-wide, being able to find the time to visit a Federation such as ours is indeed a challenge,” she said. “Therefore, we are very grateful and honoured to be able to host both Lord Coe and Ms. Delany at this time. Obviously, we are a very small Federation, but that in no way diminishes what we can bring to the table in terms of athletics and, in particular, in terms of what we can do for Anguilla’s young people.”
“With the possibility of now getting a home for track and field,” Mrs. Rogers said. “We are now anticipating great results for the fulfillment of such so that we can develop our athletes. Lord Coe and Ms. Delany is here to support our endeavours which we have been engaged in for quite a long time. ”
Mrs. Rogers confirmed that the Federation is anticipating having the availability of a track and field facility in Anguilla in the not too distant future. “With this facility, we would be able to host regional championships and we look forward one day to host an event even as big as CARIFTA.”
Lord Coe spoke from the perspective of recognizing Mrs. Rogers ambitions which he ‘had listened to over the past decade’.
“I would like to salute the ongoing commitment that you have always given as President of the Anguilla Amateur Athletic Federation,” he said. “I would like to thank your Federation and all of your partners who have allowed you to represent them with that kind of commitment.”
“I would like to also, unashamedly, pick up on the core point that you have made, Mrs. Rogers, and that is the development of the track and field sport on this island,’ he continued. “There is a need to create infrastructure which allow a critical mass of all sorts of disciplines to come together. And, as President of World Athletics, I am very committed to a legacy that leaves more young people engaged in our sport, and ideally more young people who would create their own pathways, with the help of good coaches, to engage in major championships both regionally and internationally.”
“I also see our sport being a very potent servant of the economy, education, health and nation building,” he said. “So, within the ambitions to develop track and field competence, we need to hone the athletic talents that might have lost their way due to a lack of proper sporting facilities.”
At the end of Lord Coe’s address, a member of the media asked him what his observations were about Anguilla and what would be a reasonable timeline for commencing work on facilities that would fulfill the island’s athletic needs. He referred the question to his Assistant, Ms. Delany, but before she answered he commented:
“The friendliness of Anguilla’s people is quite evident. From the time we set foot on this island we were greeted and treated graciously,” he said. “It has been fun for us, but it has been focused fun. We have had meetings, supper with the Premier and, again, other cordial meetings. And as the President of World Athletics, what I always look for is political engagement, and I have certainly found that here.”
He said that the obvious and striking need is a facility that provides for multi-purpose sporting applications such as football, cricket, tennis, and volleyball, in addition to a specialist track and field. “Conversations about this type of facility are what we are engaged in during our discussions while we are here,” he said. He noted that Anguilla has made a compelling case in applying for funds to provide such a facility.
With regard to timelines and plans for beginning to meet these needs, Ms. Delany said: “We have received all application in December, and he evaluation process is taking place now. We are in the process of evaluating applications against factors of strategic athletic needs and the impact of having a facility, as well as the technical side of things.”
“The intent is to be in a position this month to be able to shortlist the applications and then we would hope that our final decision can be made in conjunction with World Athletics and the Qatar Olympic Committee which will ultimately fund the proposed facility. This initiative will be completed by next month so that is the timeline we are working to right now,” she stated.
Lord Coe and Ms. Delany left Anguilla on Thursday, January 11th, to pay a similar visit to the British Virgin Islands.
