Granada invitational canceled | Sports

Regional athletics fans will be disappointed following the announcement that this year’s and all subsequent hostings of the Grenada Invitational have been canceled.

In a statement from the athletics competition’s organizing body, the decision was made due to a lack of economic support needed to host an international athletics competition of this magnitude.

The decision will not only affect the staging of this year’s Grenada Invitational, but will also mark the permanent end of track competition.

“Despite the best efforts of the board of directors and the local organizing team of the Grenada Invitational, the synergy, enthusiasm, energy and commitment to produce a unique event have not come to fruition,” the statement said . said.

“With time running out, the Grenada Invitational Board of Directors made the painful decision at a meeting on Monday evening May 27 to cancel the 2024 Grenada Invitational, as well as bring together, for good, the franchise and brand that ‘is Grenada Invitational.

The athletics competition was first held in 2017 at the Kirani James Stadium and proved a milestone for the Caribbean nation as it was the first time Grenadian star Kirani James was able to compete professionally on home soil .

Since its inception, the Grenada Invitational has proven to be an important milestone for regional and international athletes throughout the athletics calendar. The competition has seen international stars like Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, Veronica Campbell-Brown, Stephen Gardiner, Justin Gatlin and Tobi Amusan compete in Grenada over the years. This year’s organization was to be part of the celebration of the 50th anniversary of Grenada’s independence, alongside the 40th anniversary of its first ever Olympic participation.

“Our dream was to organize an event worthy of a nation proudly celebrating its 50th anniversary of its independence and to bid a farewell in Paris to our own modern-day Olympic heroes.

“This is a huge undertaking that requires even more than before, the full cooperation and support of multiple entities to achieve this. It’s been 40 years since our first Olympic participation, we also wanted to celebrate all of the country’s past Olympians” , declared the organizers. » of the meeting declared.

Jamaica’s Olympic sprint champion Elaine Thompson Herah was expected to be one of the headliners hosting this year’s Grenada Invitational.