Three Days to Opening, Courtney and Arleigha named flag bearers for TeamTCI

By Dana Malcolm

Staff Writer

#TurksandCaicos, July 25, 2022 – A delegation from the Turks and Caicos Islands has officially landed in Birmingham England in preparation for the Commonwealth games.

The team includes Rebecca Bernardin, Yanique Haye-Smith; Angelo Garland; Courtney Missick; Ifeanyichukwu Otuonye; Ken Reyes; Wilkenson Fenelon; Arleigha Hall and Rohan Shearer.

Athletes will participate in several events across athletics swimming and cycling including the women’s 800m & 1500m; women’s 400m hurdles; men’s 400m; 4x100m relay & 4x400m relay; men’s long jump; women’s 50m backstroke; 50m butterfly & 50m freestyle and the men’s 50m freestyle; 100m backstroke; 100m freestyle & 50m backstroke

Godfrey Been, President of the Commonwealth Games Association had stern but encouraging words for the athletes at a press conference last week prior to their departure.

“Today is your day, you have been chosen to represent the Turks and Caicos.  This is an awesome task for you and it’s an awesome task for the country to get behind you, so as you’ve been doing over the last few years and months I want you to continue to put this country first. Be serious in everything you are doing, do your best, do it correctly.”

Alvin Parker, Deputy Director of Sports, encouraged them to do their best knowing that the people of the Turks and Caicos Islands are supporting them and behind them all the way.

“Although we are small, this is a big crowd cheering and rooting for you who loves you no matter the outcome. Whether we are winning or we are losing we are one.”

Rachel Taylor, Minister of Sport thanked the Association and coaches for their work in readying the athletes and called on everyone, private partners and the government included, to ‘put our money where our mouths are in terms of supporting the athletes.

Athletics Coach Randy Ford thanked the private sector for their investment in sport noting that when they gave money to sports they were investing in the human resources of the Turks and Caicos‘s islands. He used Ifeanyichukwu Otuonye as an example. Otuonye placed 9th in the long jump in the last Commonwealth Games in the Gold Coast.

“When you are a nation of a little under 40,000 people and you can place 9th in the Commonwealth it’s a significant achievement.” he maintained

The Commonwealth Games will see more than 5,000 athletes from 72 nations compete at Alexander Stadium from July 28 to August 8. Patron of the Games, Queen Elizabeth will miss the Commonwealth Games opening ceremony to be held on July 28 and streamed live.

For the Turks and Caicos Islands, Courtney Missick and Arleigha Hall are named the flag bearers.

A contingent of about 30 Turks and Caicos‘s islanders will be at the Games, including Rachel Taylor, the Minister of Sports.