Got TIPS or BREAKING NEWS? Please call 1-284-442-8000 direct/can also WhatsApp same number or Email ALL news to:newsvino@outlook.com;                               ads call 1-284-440-6666

UPDATE: Harrigan-Scott & Collins sign up for Twilight Meet!

Steve Augustine, Chairman of the BVI Invitational Meet Organising Committee, is hoping the whole community will support the event and be there waiving flags and cheering on the competitors. Photo: Charlie Jackson/VINO
St Kitts and Nevis' Kim Collins is a former World Champion over 100 metres. Photo: thestar.com
St Kitts and Nevis' Kim Collins is a former World Champion over 100 metres. Photo: thestar.com
Track stars Kim Collins (left) of St. Kitts and Nevis and Tahesia Harrigan-Scott of the Virgin Islands met with students of the Elmore Stoutt High School. Photo: VINO
Track stars Kim Collins (left) of St. Kitts and Nevis and Tahesia Harrigan-Scott of the Virgin Islands met with students of the Elmore Stoutt High School. Photo: VINO
ROAD TOWN, Tortola, VI- The BVI Twilight Invitational Meet, announced at a press conference on Friday November 30, 2012, will feature elite athletes from around the region including Tahesia Harrigan-Scott and former World 100m Champion, Kim Collins.

It is still very early for other athletes to confirm availability, however, interest will definitely grow now that the Meet has two marquee names confirmed and with lanes being reserved for local sprinters the public will be witness to the most exciting track event to be held here in years.

As Harrigan-Scott commented, “as a supporter of the event and a participant it means a lot to me, not so much as a competitor but more as an inspiration for the younger athletes. I have achieved a lot in my career and I’m thankful for that. But my job now is to ensure the younger athletes get the same exposure and support that I did so they can reach the same excellence.”

Harrigan-Scott is also looking forward to seeing the interaction between the professional athletes and the local youngsters and wants the public to come out in numbers to support. “It will give the kids something to look up to and show them that the athletes are just like them and that they can achieve the same things. We have a world class track and there is no reason why the BVI can’t host a top ranked meet in the region, everyone should come out on the day, waive their flags and tear the stadium down!”

Collins, who seems ageless throughout a long career and first ran in the Territory in 1993, said “it’s been a long time, but I’m looking forward to 2013. I’ve been running so long, but not showing any signs of slowing down so it’s going to be a very fast race,” he joked. “Persons are going to want to come, not just for the Meet, but to experience the BVI as a whole. It’s going to be on TV and there will be so many athletes wanting to come, you will need to beat people down with a stick. Sport is also about experiencing other cultures so book your vacation time and re arrange your schedules so you don’t miss it; it’s going to be great!”

Despite gracefully accepting the support of Myron V. Walwyn, Minister responsible for Sport and the NDP Government, Chairman of the Organisation, Steve Augustine,  stated that one of the reasons behind the Meet was to create funding sources so Track and Field would not be so reliant on the Government. “More can be done to reduce the dependency of our athletes from direct Government support,” he said. “As a nonprofit organization our aim is to raise the profile of athletics in the BVI, with  proceeds  used to selectively inject resources that allows us to provide opportunities for further exposure at institutions of higher learning , to aid in the identification and development of talent, to provide financial support to athletes who are pursuing careers through athletics and to provide equipment and clothing for athletes.”

Walwyn, in pledging the support of the Government, added “I want to commend the Vision of Mr. Augustine and his team in organizing this event. I believe our Territory has the capacity to host International athletes such as Mr. Collins and Mrs. Harrigan –Scott while truly providing an attractive background for competitive meets that become hallmarks on our regional calendar. My hope is that come June our regional brothers and sisters who are unable to travel to larger cities to see Kim Collins flash down the track will find it easy enough to hop over to the Virgin Islands for the experience.”

Walwyn also noted other benefits including the benefit to the young athletes “for the first time this meet will allow a large number of our young people to have the opportunity to watch Regional Stars on our home track.”

The organizing Committee is made up of Rey O’Neil, Advisor, Willis Todman, Treasurer, Roslyn Leonard, Secretary and also has a strong supporting cast on the ground “go getters” including Dean Greenaway and Dag Samuels.

The North America, Central America and Caribbean Athletic Association (NACAC),  sanctioned Twilight Meet , as the name suggests, will be staged from late afternoon onwards and will include some 30 Events for Men and Women in both Senior and Juniors. Featured races will include the 100m, the 200, the 400 and the 800m. Also slated will be exhibition Hurdles and possibly a relay race.

Augustine hopes to have at least 3000 flag waiving spectators at the Meet and therefore was encouraged to hear Samuels confirm that additional bleachers and concession stands would be in place in line with the Governments redevelopment plans for the A.O. Shirley Grounds. “By mid February the continuation of the development plans will start, so by June we will have more seating and stands available,” noted Samuels. “Everything will be in place.”

Sponsorships are still being sought and fundraising activities are yet to get into full swing, but the likes of Chantel Malone, Karene King and Ashley Kelly should be competing “if all goes well by the end of January/mid February we should be able to announce other Elite names, but apart from the local girls Tameka Williams, Allison Peters and some Cubans will hopefully compete,” stated Todman.

With the Twilight Invitational, a new dawn has begun for the development of Track and Field in the Territory and the efforts of Augustine and his Committee should be applauded and the event well supported. 

Earlier in the day, Collins and Harrigan-Scott met students of the Elmore Stoutt High School and later with other persons at the A.O. Shirley Ground track.

See previous story posted:

Kim Collins slated to visit the VI on Friday Nov. 30

- Collins & Tahesia Harrigan-Scott to promote Invitational Meet slated for June 2013

Former World Champion over 100 metres Kim Collins is slated to be in the Virgin Islands on Friday November 30, 2012 on the occasion of a press conference regarding an invitational meet pencilled in for June 2013, which will pit local athletes against some of the region’s finest on the A.O. Shirley Ground track.

Mr Collins, who won the 100 metres for St. Kitts and Nevis at the World Championships in France in 2003, is expected to be joined by Virgin Islands track star and Olympian Tahesia Harrigan-Scott.

This is according to President of the newly formed BVI Twilight Association, Steve Augustine, who told Virgin Islands News Online that the press conference on Friday at the Department of Youth Affairs and Sports will also see the launch of the Association.

The meet next year, Mr Augustine said, will be known as the BVI Twilight Invitational and is expected to see Collins, Harrigan-Scott and a number of other high profile regional athletes competing. “We will also reserve a lane or two for some of our best athletes to compete against some of the region’s best and the people of the Virgin Islands will be able to see it on the home stage.”

Mr Augustine, a former Olympian, said the purpose of the meet was to further generate an interest in the VI towards athletics and to also raise funds to assist local athletics as well as those athletes who are pursuing athletic careers abroad.

He noted that himself and another former Olympian Willis Todman, have done collegiate athletic programmes overseas and “we know how it can be financially at times having been there. We know the Government has been doing quite a lot but we want to lessen that dependency on them.”

The event has also been sanctioned by the North America, Central America and Caribbean Athletic Association, according to Mr Augustine.

Meanwhile, it was also disclosed that anyone interested in meeting with Collins and Harrigan-Scott would be free to do so on Friday between 3 P.M and 5P.M. “It will be an interactive type session for anyone, whether athletes or just lovers of the sport,” Mr Augustine said.

The BVI Twilight Association is headed by President Augustine, with Roslyn Leonard as Secretary, Willis Todman as Treasurer and Rey O’Neal as Advisor.

20 Responses to “UPDATE: Harrigan-Scott & Collins sign up for Twilight Meet!”



Create a comment


Create a comment

Disclaimer: Virgin Islands News Online (VINO) welcomes your thoughts, feedback, views, bloggs and opinions. However, by posting a blogg you are agreeing to post comments or bloggs that are relevant to the topic, and that are not defamatory, liable, obscene, racist, abusive, sexist, anti-Semitic, threatening, hateful or an invasion of privacy. Violators may be excluded permanently from making contributions. Please view our declaimer above this article. We thank you in advance for complying with VINO's policy.

Follow Us On

Disclaimer: All comments posted on Virgin Islands News Online (VINO) are the sole views and opinions of the commentators and or bloggers and do not in anyway represent the views and opinions of the Board of Directors, Management and Staff of Virgin Islands News Online and its parent company.