The results at the CAC games will be key in determining the competitors to be selected to represent the BVI at the global Commonwealth Games.
Speaking at the briefing, Mr Rey O'Neal, immediate past president of the BVIOC, provided a timeline of the BVI's history in the Commonwealth Games: Mr Lindel Hodge was the first and sole athlete to represent the BVI at the games in 1990 in Auckland New Zealand. The BVI sent a bigger team to compete in track and field events in 1994 in Victoria, British Columbia and in 1998 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. In 2002, Ms Tahesia Harrigan entered her first Commonwealth Games in Manchester, UK. In 2006, the BVI expanded the disciplines it would participate in and sent Mr Neil Thomas for cycling and Mr Joe Chapman to compete in squash.
This year, the XIX Commonwealth Games will commence on October 3 at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium. The Queen’s Baton will be run into the stadium and handed over to a representative of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. The representative will then read the ‘Queen’s Message to the Athletes’ which is contained in the baton. This will signify the end of the relay and the start of the games.
Mr Mark Chapman, Chef de Mission XIX Commonwealth Games 2010 Delhi, took the opportunity at the briefing to present Mr Penn and Mr O'Neal with commemorative Queen's Baton Relay 2010 Delhi ties. The gesture was made in recognition of their contribution to progressing sports in the territory and abroad.
About the lead participants
Ms Tahesia Harrigan is the 2008 IAAF World Indoor Championships 60 meters bronze medalist, the first female athlete from the Eastern Caribbean to win such an honor. She is the reigning Central American and Caribbean Games 100 meters champion and has a personal best of 11.13 seconds.
Tahesia is the BVI’s first Olympic Games quarter finalist accomplishing the feat at the Beijing Games in 2008. She has been a finalist at the Commonwealth Games and Pan American Games where she placed fourth in each, just 0.29 seconds from a bronze medal. She is the 2009 Sol BVI Senior Female Athlete of the year.
Tahesia has been competing in US and international events since 1997. A profile of her performances can be found on www.iaaf.org.
Mr Joe Chapman has retained his title as the number 1 squash player in the British Virgin Islands since 2006. He is coached by Joe Kneipp, world ranked number 10 player and Commonwealth Games Gold medalist. Joe Chapman currently plays collegiately under Martin Heath’s guidance at the University of Rochester, New York, which ranks #4 in US college squash.
Joe has competed in the Rochester Pro Am 2010, World Games 2009, Kaohsiung City, XVII Pan American Senior Championships, Ecuador 2008, Men's World Open Championships 2007, Bermuda, XVI Pan American Senior Championships, Columbia in 2006, XVIII Commonwealth Games 2006, Melbourne.
Joe is currently OECS ranked #1 and WSF world ranked #417.
Mr Darel Christopher Jr started his cycling career in earnest in 2005 and has competed nationally and regionally. In the BVI, Darel placed 1st in the 2010 Road Race Season Opener and has come in the top five in the other events for 2010 held by the BVI Cycling Federation.
Darel participated in the Caribbean Junior Cycling Championships in 2005 in Aruba and 2006 in Puerto Rico, the OECS Cycling Championships held in St. Vincent in 2006 and in Barbados in 2007, the John T. Memorial Road Race in 2006 in Anguilla and the Caribbean Junior Championships in Curacao in 2008.
Darel prepared for the Caribbean Junior Cycling Championships at the Dekalb International Training Center, Atlanta, GA. During that time he competed in the Georgia State Games in Atlanta where he placed first in his event.
Click here for information on the XIX Commonweatlh Games 2010 Delhi
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ENDS
Media contact:
Mark Chapman
Chef de Mission XIX Commonwealth Games 2010 Delhi
Tel: 494 2868
Email:
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