Nine VI athletes to compete at CAC Games

The British Virgin Islands Olympic Committee (BVIOC) has confirmed that nine athletes from three sporting disciplines are set to represent the Virgin Islands at the Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Games in San Salvador, El Salvador.

The games will be held from June 23 – July 8, 2023. The BVI team comprises four track athletes, three field athletes, one sailor, and one archer.

BVIOC President Ephraim Penn said: “This year’s CAC Games are seen as an important qualifying and ranking opportunity for athletes from all sports. We can expect to see some tough competition.”

President Penn added: “It will be the first time that archery will be represented at these Games and the second time for sailing since the 1993 CAC Games in Ponce, Puerto Rico. Athletics has seen representation since the VI’s first participation in the CACs in 1982 and has included softball, squash, triathlon and cycling. This historic achievement for archery is a promising trajectory for the development of different sports in the territory and brings to fruition one of the BVIOC’s missions for this quadrennial to have more sports compete at major games.”

Laser sailor Thad Lettsome, who will compete in the men’s single-person dinghy event, will be the flag bearer at the Opening Ceremony on Friday, June 23. Archer Ritseeniyah Georges will compete in the Women’s Compound Individual event while the track athletes include Rikkoi Brathwaite, Beyonce Defreitas, Deya Erikson and Jaleel Croal

The all-male field athletes include Olympian Eldred Henry and twins Djimon and Diamante Gumbs.

While San Salvador 2023 will be the first CAC Games for seven of the athletes, it will be the second appearance for Henry, who won the territory’s first shot put medal at the CAC games in 2018. It will also be the second experience for Erickson who made her debut at the same games in 2018.

Local coaches and sports technocrats will also accompany the athletes to the 2023 CAC games.