Nelson: YASCO Track De-certification Not Due to ABAA Negligence

By Neto Baptiste

The de-certification of the YASCO Sports Complex as a Class 2 facility is not the result any negligence of the Antigua and Barbuda Athletic Association (ABAA).

This is according to First Vice President of the Antigua and Barbuda Athletic Association (ABAA) and former athlete, Jamille Nelson, who says the surface was certified as Class 2 by World Athletics in 2021 for only five years and that the license expired in June. 

Speaking with Observer media following last week’s publication of the venue’s de-certification, Nelson said the association was long aware of the issue and had been in dialog with international track builders, Mondo.

“In Tokyo last year, at the World Championships, I would have met with a representative from Mondo who reached out to me to ask about the status of the surface because other tracks that would have been installed around the same time, they were having complaints about the material. In March, a technician came down while we were having our Carifta trials to collect samples from the surface itself. When he tested, he collected samples from the red lane and said, yes, this is unusable, and they would have committed to resurfacing the red lanes only. However, after consideration, they changed and said they would resurface the entire track,” he said. 

Nelson said the body did not apply for re-certification, knowing that the surface had deteriorated severely and that it was highly unlikely it would have passed the certification process.

The athletics coach is however hopeful that the relaying of the surface could be completed ahead of the 2027 season which is slated to start later this year.

“First development meet would probably be scheduled for December, if not in January, so we’re hoping that it would be completed by then. A timeline for Mondo, we haven’t received that yet. Of course, there’s another part involved, the NOC, through PASO, who is actually doing the funding for the surface. None of the money is coming from the government, so the surface itself is being sponsored, paid for by the Pan American Sports Organization. We can’t say exactly when, but we do know from last word, the materials are being acquired to be shipped. Once they have gotten here, then the technicians would come and start the process,” he said.

The sport’s international governing body published an updated list of certified facilities in July but indicated that certification for the St. John’s venue, had not been extended.

Late last year, former president of the ABAA and former national athlete, Everton Cornelius, raised concerns over the condition of the surface, pointing to overuse as one of the main causes for its rapid deterioration.