Dominica Carifta team gets shoddy treatment in St. Kitts

caritfa 2015The Dominica team faced great difficulty at the Carifta games in St. Kitts after arriving on the island on April 1 to learn that the village, to host the athletes, was not yet opened.

A highly placed source told DNO that upon the team’s arrival they were given the option to stay in two apartments.

However, the athletes decided to stick together in order to get something to eat and because the bus driver would not wait on them.

That night the team stayed at a three-room apartment in the hope that on the opening of the village, they would all be comfortable at the hotel, the Marriott Hotel, where they were expected to stay.

However, the next day the team was told that only accreditation was being done at the Marriott and they would be staying at another hotel, the Ocean’s Edge.

After accreditation was completed, the team then learnt that they would be returning to the apartment they stayed in the night before and not Ocean’s Edge.

According to the source, the team refused and they were offered another house with four bedrooms: three of which had one double bed and the next three, single beds.

But it was realized that the 13-member team could not fit in the house and in the end three of the athletes had to share one bed in someone’s home, away from the Carifta village.

To compound the matter the original house offered was under renovation and was very untidy and the team manager and one athlete refused to stay in it.

According to the source upon refusal of the house, a Carifta rooming official made a statement that “he really was not going to wrap his head around nothing for Dominicans and he did not care.”

At the Marriott Hotel, the teams from Dominica and French Guyana gathered in the lobby and made themselves comfortable by laying on the floor and couches, while team managers fought to get rooms for them.

The source stated that when the teams from Trinidad and Jamaica arrived, they received rooms within an hour and members were left roaming the hotel’s lobby wondering why other teams had not received rooms.

During the long hours of wait for rooms the Dominican athletes felt frustrated, hungry, restless and uncomfortable, and were eventually taken out for something to eat by the team manager, the source said.

After 12 hours of wait the Dominicans were finally given two villas at Ocean’s Edge, where they were originally told they were going to stay anyway, and this occurred only after the team from the BVI began demanding a refund.

But getting villas at Ocean’s Edge did not end the troubles for the Dominican team.

The source said there are no amenities that the team paid for in the levy for the games.

“No cleaners, no heater just a plain apartment with nothing,” the source said. “We all paid the same levy but Trinindad and Jamaica were treated like Kings and Queens and the smaller island like dogs.”

Because Ocean Edge is far from the Carifta village, the Dominican team has to leave three times a day to buy meals at the supermarket.

Despite the adversities two Dominicans have moved on to finals at the games: Derrick St. Jean in the 400M U-20 male in a time of 48.71 seconds and Kellandie Bully in the 400M U-18 Girls at 57.47 seconds.

Finals will be held today (Saturday at 6:00 pm).

Also competing in other disciplines are Raheem Joseph and Kihmo Benjamin in the U-20 Boys Discus.

Record holder Shanee Angol will compete in the U-18 girls javelin while Jazan Laurent will compete in 1500-M.

Set to compete also are Zellie Charles in the Long Jump and Josh Toussaint in the Shot Put.

Carifta 2015 ends on April 6.

Copyright 2012 Dominica News Online, DURAVISION INC. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or distributed.

Disclaimer: The comments posted do not necessarily reflect the views of DominicaNewsOnline.com and its parent company or any individual staff member. All comments are posted subject to approval by DominicaNewsOnline.com. We never censor based on political or ideological points of view, but we do try to maintain a sensible balance between free speech and responsible moderating.

We will delete comments that:

  • contain any material which violates or infringes the rights of any person, are defamatory or harassing or are purely ad hominem attacks
  • a reasonable person would consider abusive or profane
  • contain material which violates or encourages others to violate any applicable law
  • promote prejudice or prejudicial hatred of any kind
  • refer to people arrested or charged with a crime as though they had been found guilty
  • contain links to "chain letters", pornographic or obscene movies or graphic images
  • are off-topic and/or excessively long

See our full comment/user policy/agreement.

43 Comments

  1. uk dominican
    April 8, 2015

    St.Kitts Jamaica and Trinidad can never stand in Dominica shoes they are a small Island like any one else and they are treating Dominicans as if we are below them .They are having a laugh kidding themselves they that behind like talon not Dominicans.
    Anyway we can give each other maypwee but frightened to give St. kitts maypwee not me Dominica rule in my eyes.
    Stop blaming others stand up and fight for yourselves Dominicans

  2. Dominica's flower
    April 7, 2015

    We Dominicans are strong will people and can survive anywhere. Our strong will has gain us many triumphs in life. We are winners. Good luck my people

  3. The Facts
    April 6, 2015

    This sounds like waiting in the hospital emergency room or waiting for a hospital room . Not referring to Dominica.
    What a shame that the Dominican team were treated in such a shoddy manner. These people have no manners and respect. They also lack hospitality. I bet if they visited Dominica, they would not be happy to receive this type of treatment.
    Shame on them! Do they not realize that their own could visit D/ca and would expect excellent hospitality? Some people never think that life is a two-way street and they should treat others with dignity as they expect to be treated.
    The authorities owe the Dominicans an apology and compensation. I hope the D/can authorities complain to them, in no uncertain manner, about their shoddy treatment which was obviously below expectations.
    Well, my words are insufficient to express my feelings at those Kittitians. Who do they think they are anyway? These certainly lack class.

  4. AG
    April 6, 2015

    Where is skerrit in all this?

  5. April 6, 2015

    I would no put up wit that I would just get the next plane home

  6. L Jay
    April 6, 2015

    I watched the games live on Saturday, and now I understand why the Yardies were so cocky! And why the other islands were so happy to beat them! Hold your head up athletes, be strong.

  7. Bull Crap
    April 6, 2015

    What you expects. the leaders and managers are more concerned about they getting to travel all over the place than making sure their athletes are taking care off. you hear that time and time again. the athletes are created like shit while the managers and couches living like kings.

  8. ??
    April 6, 2015

    That’s what happens when an incompetent group of people a replaced to run a country. This is the beginning of the fall of of Kitts.

  9. Dr. Sam Christian
    April 6, 2015

    Wait a while…

    Is this our NATIONAL team?!

    If this account is accurate, it represents gross disrespect, pathetic inferiority complex and shambolic ineptitude on the part of the host country. It is stupid things like that that trips up the long march to regional integration.

    Can team managers not call on their governments to intervene in such matters? Yet, this is not totally surprising. A few days before departure I was contacted for assistance with uniforms for the teams. It appears that politics plays a role in certain managers and coaches being denied the customary support for athletes representing their country. I trust I am wrong on this matter because these athletes train extremely hard. They should be saving their mental focus for top on-field performance, not being subjected to such unnecessary distractions.

    Congratulations anyhow for making us proud despite the circumstances!

    Investigate fairly.

    Fix it.

    Don’t let it happen again

  10. NothingFree
    April 5, 2015

    Rolling my eyes. You guys voting for rubbish and expecting what? For the last 15 years, has the elected leaders of Dominica tried to do anything about our standing in the Caribbean or have they just increased their wealth. Think about this for the next 5 years. Since when does a captain of a ship not responsible for where its headed. Keep thinking that all the captain has to do is get votes and bring down artists for sewo.

  11. ladylo
    April 5, 2015

    That was really unfair to FCA team

  12. Hmmmm
    April 5, 2015

    Interesting because I read an article in the Jamaica Observer which stated that the Jamaican Team waited 8 hours before they could find accommodation. Shameful I must say.

  13. Holiday Island Boy
    April 5, 2015

    Not only Dominica, but this was also the experience of some of the other participating islands.

  14. BEB
    April 5, 2015

    Poor management and poor planning.

  15. Sandra
    April 5, 2015

    We obviously don’t train our people for the unexpected. I have been to other Caribbean island before and stayed in worst conditions. So the leader of the team should have had a contingency plan in place for the inevitable. That’s what leadership is about. And on another note the organizers for the CARIFTA in St Kitts knew what was happening so we cannot blame a change of government. We have a sporting committee who dropped the ball. I hold them fully responsible. The easiest thing to do these days is push someone under the bus. How immature. Grow up people of the Caribbean.

  16. grand bay
    April 5, 2015

    we waitin for dem

    • budman
      April 7, 2015

      waiting for who?

  17. Doc. Love
    April 5, 2015

    Why didn’t the team manager call Densel Douglas, he is Skeritt and Tony’s best friend.

  18. Mr Gouty
    April 5, 2015

    Maybe it’s a political issue because of the Dominica DLP didn’t help the St, Kitts SLP ! Remember I said maybe …

    • budman
      April 7, 2015

      what foolishness are you saying??!! how old are you?

  19. Anonymous
    April 5, 2015

    hmph – Kittitians think they are it and can say and do what they like to people. From personal experience, they do “look-down” on Dominica and by extension Dominicans as non-entities

    • budman
      April 7, 2015

      the real question is why do so many “look – down” on Dominica? that’s the real question.

  20. lmckoy
    April 5, 2015

    Maybe St Kitts felt that they cannot beat the Jamaicans so they didn’t bother with them but if they caused the Dominicans to be exhausted, the Dominicans would perform poorly; that way St Kitts would stand a better chance of winning a medal!! Hope everyone will have an enjoyable experience in the end.

  21. johnjay
    April 4, 2015

    Where is the ministers responsible for sports and caricom affairs ,what ashame . When is there people they things going far.

  22. Neutral Party
    April 4, 2015

    Sounds like poor planning and the usual bad treatment of the less fortunate. I have seen this too many times in the Caribbean, to include Dominica.

  23. cassida
    April 4, 2015

    that is so bad to treat dominica like that. not because jamaica and trinidad have some tough athletes, they have to be given better treatment. SHAME ON HOST COUNTRY

  24. Affa
    April 4, 2015

    Dem st.kitts facilities are still way back there in this low self esteem small island dig Island ting?? L0l ha ha ha hello?? Haiti and Guyana are worlds larger than tnt & ja anyway, somebody wake up the st.kitts facilities. Yawn, lol

  25. Efficatious
    April 4, 2015

    Brake down in communication! the world over knows that Dominica make the most use of telephone.you cannot run business by phone only. you write a memo followed.a by a phone call,you receive confirmation in writing followed by a call.You made a phone call and the answer is yes yes yes and you walked in. you only have yourself to blame because you did not make the proper bookings and wait for proper confirmation.Take and free does not exist in other countries only in Dominican.”Ask and you shall receive “

  26. lee williams
    April 4, 2015

    And then they talk bout caribbean unity,wicked set of people. They only need small island whn they need votes to pass laws and laws to profit themselves.the caribbean is jus one big joke, they not even takin themselves seriously.if is one thing I admire dominicans for , they can make themselves anywhere.Am proud of you guys , may God bless all of u, go out there and show them.

  27. home boy
    April 4, 2015

    the world knows that Dominican do not have the will to Demonstrate. look at their condition at home? where do young people practice there sport? do they raise there voice? we do not live in isolation and YES everything is politic even the air you breath the sooner you realise that the sooner you will be a more stronger person

  28. JoJo
    April 4, 2015

    That is only one side of the story. Maybe the arrangements were not made properly, it has happened before with our sports people you know. I do not think St. Kitts would treat us like that just because we are a small country. I would like to wait to pass judgement till we have heard fro the St. Kitts organizers. We cry foul too easily, our skin too thin some times.

  29. Not Me Alone
    April 4, 2015

    DNO, I love you, respect you, and thank you for all what you do on a daily basis to ensure we are kept informed with what is taking place in Dominica. However, I think you need to treat us with a little more respect. You encourage us to give our comments and that we do. But when we take our time to write our comments only to find out that you never publish it really offends. I know it might be a problem of time and or understaffed but I think there is a respectful way of doing it. You were able to limit our blogs to 1000 words and that was great! What about putting a limit on the amount of blogs per news item, so no one will waste their time to compose? Or, what about not entertaining blogs on certain news item? Maybe you need to contact Skerrit about the NEP program which I think would be for a very worthy cause.

  30. Dasheen
    April 4, 2015

    Shame on St. Kitts. Shame shame shame. That’s what happens when square pins are tried to be fitted into round holes. People in job who cannot do the job. Is it that difficult to organise? They want to dog the small islanders forgetting that they themselves even smaller and showing their skills are of the same pinhead size. How embarrassing for themselves. Dominicans, hold your head high. I wish you the best of luck in your games. Mash them up!

  31. April 4, 2015

    :-x Accountability must be held against those dishonest, selfish, greedy, unethical organizers and hoteliers who failed to live up to their commitments.

    What happened to all the money devoted to properly facilitate the Dominican delegate? Give account of your stewardship!

  32. Thor
    April 4, 2015

    If they are so poor at organizing games, why did they bother to host it?

  33. nocheapthing
    April 4, 2015

    So sorry to hear of such unfortunate treatment. Kudos to the team for prevailing nonetheless. :(

  34. genie
    April 4, 2015

    dats just not kool…..and people like to complain bout things in DA…eg when the Trini women’s cricket team got robbed at their hotel…..SMH……they should ask for some kind of refund……and guess what, they bajans had some difficulty too….so heres the thing, if you’re not in a position to host things you must stop putting urself forward and let others suffer

  35. real possie
    April 4, 2015

    Sometimes we Dominicans need to use the wrong people do us and let motivate us, I remember it was said Michael Jordan used any little thing to make him mad so he could play better. Just like the football team from Canada saying our team is made up of a taxi driver and farmers, we need to use that when we play them and beat them with the farmers. I know some will say is because of ??????? that’s why they were treated the way they did, SMH.

  36. MasterMind
    April 4, 2015

    Quite frankly, thats DE-MOTIVATION FROM THE GET GO! I believe thats a tactic to discourage all other teams, break their high spirits so the JAMAICANS and TRINIDADIANS can EXCEL!

    • Andy
      April 7, 2015

      MasterMind what kind of nonsensical comment is that? Do you realize that these games were held in St. Kitts? Why would St. Kitts plan to demotivate other countries so that Trinidad and Jamaica can excel? Obviously you know nothing about track and field nor about the history of the Carifta Games, neither Trinidad nor Jamaica would require any outside assistance to excel in these games, especially Jamaica. The latter has won the Carifta Games 39 out of the 44 years it has been contested, including the last 31 consecutive games, winning over 1, 559 medals; the next closest is The Bahamas with 575 and Trinidad and Tobago with 560.The only other countries to have won the games are The Bahamas and Bermuda.

      • budman
        April 7, 2015

        my Dear Andy when you visit this site , you must accept that logic and critical thinking are not the features in the comments section.

    • Tjebe fort
      April 8, 2015

      Maybe they are simply better than us. Have you ever compared their training facilities and ours for a start? In Dominica they all want to be head of this committee and that committee, even hiring athletes from overseas so they can play big shot but little real work is done for the athletes.

      • Intrepid traveller
        April 8, 2015

        The St. Kitts Games were close to a fiasco certainly the two commentators were the worst I have ever experienced. The St. Kitts guy should not be on television period he is hard on the eyes to to be honest and his knowledge and delivery was amateurish to say the least. The Bahamian guy tried to sound as American as possible and obviously knew zero about the countries participating except of course Bahamas and Jamaica. He couldn’t even pronounce Dominica, Anguilla or even St. Kitts. Pure Bud ad and Lou them two except they weren’t funny. Hope I never see either again on my television.

Post a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

:) :-D :wink: :( 8-O :lol: :-| :cry: 8) :-? :-P :-x :?: :oops: :twisted: :mrgreen: more »

 characters available