Over 300 athletes are expected to take part in the one-day meet
- Sheldon Longley
- 10 hrs ago
- 0

What is expected to be a grand year in track and field for The Bahamas is getting an early start with the staging of the Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations (BAAA) Odd Distance Meet this Friday at the original Thomas A. Robinson Track and Field Stadium.
The one-day meet, which was originally set for this past Saturday, gets underway at 1 p.m. on Friday and is expected to draw hundreds of athletes from all over the country for some early season action. A number of collegiate athletes are expected to compete as wel
“A number of coaches are taking advantage of the early season to see where their athletes are at physically, and this provides the perfect avenue for them to do so,” said Cash. “The odd distance meet is generally used as a measuring stick for coaches to determine where their athletes are at going into the season. We anticipate full participation from all of the clubs and we also expect some of our college athletes to be home from school and have them compete as well.”
All of the age groups will be contested – from under-seven straight up to the open divisions. On the schedule on the track for Friday are the 60 meters (m) sprints in all divisions, the 150m sprints in all divisions, the 300m events in the under-15 boys and girls, under-17 boys and girls, under-20 boys and girls and open men and women, the 600m races in all divisions except the under-seven, under-nine and under-11 boys and girls, the 1000m in all divisions except the under-seven, under-nine, under-11 and under-13 boys and girls, the 60m hurdles in the under-17 boys and girls divisions and up, and the 300m hurdles in the under-17 boys and girls divisions and up.
On the field, the long, high and triple jumps and the discus and shot put events will be contested in the under-17 boys and girls divisions and up, and the high jump competition will extend to the under-15 boys and girls division.
“The meet features distances and different approaches that we don’t usually use but it’s an opportunity for coaches to see where their athletes are at in their training,” said Cash. “This will be like a timed trials for coaches. We anticipate that it will run smoothly. It will be good for the public to come out and see how next year would look.”
Cash said they anticipate being completed by 6 p.m. He said the date and time was chosen because it is the belief that Saturday would be used as last shopping day for Bahamians for Christmas.
“This gives persons an opportunity to watch the meet and then get that last day of shopping before Christmas on Saturday that they would have planned to get in any event,” said Cash. “Also, with Christmas parties and other things taking place on Saturday, it might be too hectic for people to fit track and field into their schedule. It starts at 1 p.m. on Friday because we realize that Friday would be a half day for a lot of people so they would be able to come straight from work and watch some track and field. The following weekend, a lot of people are travelling with some athletes leaving early to get back to school in the United States. Also, we had to factor in BACO (Bahamas Association of Certified Officials) and their availability. We placed all of that under consideration. We took a brief poll with the bigger clubs to get their view on the date and time and this Friday was the most appropriate.”
General admission for the meet is listed at $7, and school children will be admitted for $5. VIP entrance is listed at $15.
As Cash mentioned, over 300 athletes are expected to take part in the one-day meet.