The Cayman Islands  Athletic Association (CIAA) started its  2021-2022 Season this past Saturday (December 11) with an initial training session for aspiring Officials at the  Truman Bodden  Stadium.

A total of 17 persons attended the first in a series of such training sessions and were taught the basics involved in the officiating the Long, Triple and High Jump events under the guidance of Coaches Tyrone Yen and Carl Morgan. Long time National Coach Kenrick Williams provided officiating insight on the Shot Put, and Javelin events. CIAA First Vice President Osbert Francis guided the enthusiastic participants in respect of timing and placement, whilst Second Vice President Maxine Anglin did the honors with respect to track events

 CIAA President, H. Delroy Murray welcomed the participants and thanked them for the interest that they had shown and urged them to learn more about the tasks that they had undertaken while promising them that this was the first in a series of continuing education for officials with the hope being that they would go on to be certified officials in the future.

 The training sessions is part of the CIAA’s planned program of taking the sport beyond its current state by expanding the areas of competition with the introduction of non-traditional events such as the pole vault, steeplechase, multi-discipline events, cross-country runs, Kiddy’s athletics and community-based meets.

The CIAA is dedicated to forward and succession planning, based on the implementation of a specialized training program that will identify and provide wholistic training for athletes for the quadrennial Olympic Games. In this regard the Association has identified the first set of these athletes for the 2024-2032 Olympic Games cycles. This performance-based talent identification process will be ongoing, fluid and adaptable. The names of the first identified athletes will be revealed in a subsequent press release.