SLTU Participates in CUT Games 2008

The Saint Lucia Teachers Union (SLTU) will be participating in this year’s

Caribbean Union of Teachers (CUT) 12th Biennial Track and Field Athletics

Championship, at the A.O. Shirley Recreation Grounds in Tortolla, British Virgin

Islands from July 17 - 20, 2008.

The CUT Games was first staged in 1986, following recognition by the CUT of the

need to provide young athletes between the ages 8 - 15 years old, with

meaningful, regional competition.

Additionally, the Caribbean Union of Teachers recognized that sports have a

significant and unifying role to play in the regional integration process.

It is hoped by the CUT membership, that the Games will bring students and

teachers of the Caribbean together for a few days of friendly competition,

camaraderie and cooperation, subsequently forging lasting friendships.

The 2006 CUT Games was hosted by the Saint Lucia Teacher’s Union at the

George Odlum Stadium in Vieux-Fort, with a record thirteen countries

participating. At the end, the Jamaica Teachers Association walked away with the

championship, again.

According to an official of the STLU, “this year the SLYU hope to make a very

strong showing this year and is making every effort to win the championship.”

Athletes for the CUT games will compete in the Under-9 Boys and Girls, Under-11

Boys and Girls, Under-13 Boys and Girls, and Under-15 Boys and Girls divisions,

respectively.

The competing events are the Under-9 Boys and Girls’ 80-metres, 150-metres, 4

x 100-metre relay, the cricket ball throw, and long jump; the Under-11 Boys and

Girls’ 100-metres, 200-metres, 600-metres, 4 x 100-metre relay, the cricket ball

throw, and long jump; the Under-13 Boys and Girls’ 100-metres, 200-metres,

600-metres, 4 x 100-metre  relay, the cricket ball throw, long jump, and  high

jump; the Under-15 Boys and Girls’ 100-metres, 200-metres, 600-metres, 4 x

100-metre relay, the cricket ball throw, the long jump, the high jump, shot put

and javelin.

There is also an Open category with athletes competing in the 800-metres,

1500-metres and Medley Relay (100-metres x 100-metres x 200-metres x 400-

metres).

In preparation for the games, the Saint Lucia Teachers’ Union has selected a

team of forty athletes from all eight educational districts in Saint Lucia.

These athletes are currently undergoing training, and were the outstanding

athletes of the 2008 Inter- Secondary and Inter-District Primary Schools Sports

Meets, respectively.

Meanwhile, The British Virgin Island Teachers Union is gearing up to host the July

18-19 2008 Caribbean Union of Teachers Games. Approximately 500 Under-15

athletes from 22 regional countries are expected, making this year’s Games one

of the largest ever.

The BVI Teachers Union became a CUT member in 2001 and first participated in

the bi-annual games in 2004. They were awarded the games during a CUT

executive committee meeting held in St. Croix in 2005.

The Games were first held in Jamaica in 1986, and its alumni include Athens

Olympic Games 200-metre gold medalist Veronica Campbell of Jamaica, who also

bagged the 100-metre silver medal, and Barbados’ Obadele Thompson, a 2000

Sydney Olympics 100-metre bronze medalist.