KINGSTON — The IAAF World Relays will need a new home for the 2019 edition after the Bahamas announced that its no longer has interest in hosting the event.
Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium in New Providence hosted the first three successive editions, but the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) was informed that it will have to find a new host with about 10 months to go.
“It’s a situation now where we are 10 months out of the world relays, and the IAAF has to now find a host country that will be willing to step forward,” IAAF World Relays Bahamas 2017 Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Rosamunde Carey said in The Nassau Guardian.
“The main concern here is the time and the reputational damage it could cause to this country. We’re trying to do everything that we can to mitigate that, but at the end of the day, this is a serious blow to our reputation as a host country.
“The Bahamas has received powerful global support in the hosting of the world relays since its inception. We would have worked very hard to satisfy the requirements of the IAAF and ensure that the world relays become a part of the World Athletic Series.
“I couldn’t say if it would ever return given the way it was handled. To say 10 months out that you are no longer able to do so is a hard pill to swallow. Hopefully, it can be rectified and the host nation reputation of The Bahamas won’t be damaged.”
JAMAICA REMAINS HOPEFUL TO HOST
Meanwhile, the Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association (JAAA) president Dr. Warren Blake, revealed that he would like to see the 2019 event in Jamaica.
However, Blake made it clear that the JAAA would have to get the proper financial support from the government to host the event.
“JAAA is willing to take it on, once we have the government’s support,” Blake told The Gleaner on Friday.
“We made this position clear months ago, when we became aware that there may have been a vote against it. We are very interested in hosting the World Relays, it just depends on the financial backing of the government.”
