History
The British Virgin Islands Athletics Association (BVIAA)—formerly the BVI Amateur Athletics Association—is the governing body of the sport of athletics (track and field, cross country and road racing) in the territory. The association was formed on September 19, 1970. “Amateur” was dropped from the association’s name during an Executive Committee meeting on February 10, 2009.
Association Presidents
Hubert Payne was elected as the association’s first president, when the body was formed in 1970. Others who have served as president of the BVIAA are: John Lewis, 1973—74. Johnny Hassan, 1974—76. Robert Mathavious, 1977—1978. Rey O’Neal, 1970—73, 1978—2003. Ephraim Penn, 2003—2008. Dean Greenaway, 2008—Present.
Affiliations
In March 1972, the BVIAA became a member of its governing body, the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) formerly the International Amateur Athletics Federation. By extension, the BVIAA became a member of the Central American and Caribbean Athletics Congress in 1972. The BVIAA is a charter member of the BVI Olympic Committee, which was formed in 1980; the OECS Athletics Congress formed in 1989; and the North American, Central American and Caribbean Confederation (NACAC) formed in 1999. As a BVIOC member, BVI Athletics athletes can compete in the Central American and Caribbean Games, Pan American Games, Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, Olympic Youth Games and Commonwealth Youth Games.
National Teams
With the exception of Senior competitions and IAAF World Championships events, all athletes being selected for a Youth or Jr. National Team must be selected by competing in a trial meet. Selection for an IAAF Competition is based on the qualifying standard established by the IAAF. Every athlete representing the territory MUST be registered with the BVI Athletics Association. Athletes in Primary and High School, must maintain a minimum “C” average to be eligible to represent the territory in regional and international competitions.
Regional & International Competitions Guide
The BVI Athletics Association is member of the International Association of Athletics Federations and is the governing body for Track and Field and Road Racing events in the territory. The BVIAA enters athletes in different regional and international championship events, while for multisport Games—CAC, Pan Am Commonwealth and Olympics—the BVI Olympic Committee is the responsible authority.
CARIFTA Games
The CARIFTA Games are held every year over the Easter Holiday and caters to two age groups – Under 17 years and Under 20 years. This competition, which is normally held in a different Caribbean country on a rotational basis each year, gives young athletes an opportunity to compete against top competitors in the region. It also affords them exposure to University and College Athletic Coaches who scout for talent to recruit for their institutions. It is also an opportunity for athletes to network and share experiences with athletes from other countries. This competition is the first major step in competing at an international level and the experience gained is immeasurable.
CAC Age Group Championships
The Caribbean and Central American Age Group Championships are held every two years and is used as an identification tool for emerging talent. This competition caters to male and female athletes 11-12 years and 13-14 years in the year of competition. Each team can be comprised of no more than eight athletes—2 boys 2 girls in each age group. Athletes in the 11-12 age group compete in five events while athletes in the 13-14 age group compete in seven events. The performance in each event is given a score with the athlete accumulating the highest points total in each age group being declared the winner.
CAC Jr. Championships
The Central American and Caribbean Jr. Championships is a competition held every two years. Like the CARIFTA Games, it caters to Under 17 and Under 20 athletes
CAC Championships
The Central American and Caribbean Sr. Championships are held every two years.
This event rotates among countries within the Central American and Caribbean region and gives competitors from the BVI exposure to top athletes in the Central American region, in addition to the Caribbean. The qualifying standards are set in accordance with the level of competition at the CAC Sr. Championships. Qualifying standards for the CAC Jr. and Sr. Championships and the CARIFTA Games are set by the BVI Athletics Association.
CAC Games
The Central American and Caribbean Games are held within the region during the summer every four years. It is the territory’s athletes first exposure to a multisport competition. The CAC Games are held 2-years after the Olympic Games and falls in the same year as the Commonwealth Games. Athletes 17 years and older who meet the qualifying standards are eligible to represent the territory in this competition.
IAAF World Championships
The IAAF World Outdoor Championships are held every two years at different locations around the world, under the auspices of the IAAF. The IAAF sets the qualifying standard for this Championship.
IAAF World Jr. Championships
The IAAF World Jr. Championships in Athletics takes place every two years in the same year as the IAAF World Championships. This competition caters to athletes who are age 18 years and 19 years in the year of competition, but athletes 16 years and older who meet the IAAF qualifying standards can compete. Athletes wishing to participate should, in addition to meeting the qualifying standard, have competed in either the CARIFTA Games or the CAC Junior Championships.
IAAF World Youth Championships
The IAAF World Youth Championships in Athletics takes place every two years. This competition caters to athletes who are age 16 years and 17 years in the year of competition. Athletes under 16 are not eligible to compete. Athletes wishing to participate should, in addition to meeting the IAAF qualifying standard, have competed in either the CARIFTA Games or the CAC Junior Championships.
Pan An Jr. Championships
The Pan Am Jr. Championships is a bi-annual track and field competition for all nations in the Americas. The competition targets athletes under 20 years.
Pan Am Games
The Pan American Games is a multi-sport event between competitors from all nations in the Americas, held every four years in the year before the Olympic Games. The Pan Am Games were last held in Guadalajara, Mexico in October 2011. The next Pan Am Games will be held in Toronto, Canada in July 2015.
NACAC U23 Championships
The North American, Central American, and Caribbean U23 Championships is a bi-annual event held for NACAC region athletes. Athletes who are too old for CARIFTA but not yet at the World Championship or Olympic level have an opportunity to compete internationally and gain experience to prepare for the next level of international experience. The age criteria is 20—22 years in the year of competition.
Commonwealth Games
The Commonwealth Games are held every four years under the umbrella of the BVI Olympic Committee. The competition is open to athletes from all eligible Commonwealth countries who compete for honors in their respective sports.
Commonwealth Youth Games
The Commonwealth Youth Games are held every four years in odd number years. This competition targets Under 18 athletes. There is quota system in place and this is under the umbrella of the BVI Olympic Committee.
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games—the highest competition level in sports—is a multi-sport event held every four years between competitors from the 204 nations in the world that have a National Olympic Committee. Athletes 16 years oldand upwards who make qualifying standard can compete in the games. This event falls under the umbrella of the BVI Olympic Committee.
Youth Olympic Games
The Youth Olympic Games were introduced in 2010 and is a multi-sport event between competitors from the 204 nations in the world that have a National Olympic Committee. The competition format groups athletes into an A, B & C final. Besides competition, YOG also focuses on education and culture. YOG targets athletes 16 and 17 years in the year of competition. There is a quota of athletes participating. This event falls under the umbrella of the BVI Olympic Committee.
Contact info:
Email: stephruss75@hotmail.com
