by Linda Straker
- Grenada Invitational meet scheduled for 13 April 2019
- Permission granted to GAA to organise the Grenada Invitational under IAAF rules
Karlene Purcell, Chairman of the Grenada Invitation Organising Committee have provided the evidence that the Grenada Invitational meet scheduled for 13 April 2019 has received the permission of the North American, Central American and Caribbean Athletics Association to be an Area Permit Meet (APM).
A check of the NACAC calendar of events online which was updated last on 26 February did not show the Grenada Invitational meet as one of the events for 2019. On 8 March the organising committee held a news conference and disclose the date for the 2019 event will be 13 April.
Purcell said that her committee had received confirmation from the Grenada Athletic Association (GAA) that permission was granted, and it was for that reason the news conference was held to announce the date.
“Now that we have the date, we can now approach our sponsors to have finalised agreement, we could not have gone to them without a confirmed date and confirmation that the meet was an Area Permit Meet,” said Purcell who explained that the website is continuously updated.
“We received the permission but it’s not just on the website yet,” she said.
The certificate said that permission is granted to the GAA to organise the Grenada Invitational under the IAAF rules on 13 April 2019. It is signed by Victor Lopez. Purcell said that the GAA had to make the application on behalf of the GIOC.
GAA explains that based on the rules, the local association is the only body who has the authority to make the recommendation to NACAC but the GIOC must apply to its office. Once the permission is granted the GAA must ensure that the meet is done with the IAAF rules. Failure to comply with the rules and all other conditions can result in negative consequences.
At the press launch, it was announced that a few top regional and international athletes will be participating in the meet which will begin at 4 pm with a local segment and conclude with an international segment starting at 6 pm. The international segment is scheduled to be broadcast live on ESPN.
