NACAC blames Pauline Davis for Cayman’s CARIFTA Games incident

(CMR) NACAC Athletics, the area association of World Athletics, said Bahamian official Pauline Davis-Thompson erred in issuing accreditation to Lacey Barnes-Riley and her husband at the recent CARIFTA Games as all accreditation should go through national associations.

The Cayman Athletics Association has come under heavy criticism for having the coaches removed in full view of athletes at the event held in the Bahamas earlier this month. Barnes-Riley and her husband reportedly independently applied for accreditation after the local federation did not get accreditation for them to attend the event.

Barnes-Riley and her husband were removed from the field after Cayman officials reportedly filed a complaint against them for obtaining accreditation without the Cayman Athletics Association.

NACAC, in a letter sent to Delroy Murray, said,  “In competitions organized under the ambit of NACAC Athletics, only national associations (member federations) that are recognized by World Athletics and us, and associate members of NACAC Athletics have the legitimate right to submit teams to participate in the CARIFTA Games and any of our approved Championships.”

NACAC further stated that only persons that can be duly accredited as representatives of any participating team at the CARFTA Games are those submitted in the member federation’s Final Entry. This includes Ministers of Government, Permanent Secretaries, and officials of agencies in the country of any of the member federations.

The area association said The Bahamas Local Organising Committee did not have the right to approve accreditations for anyone from a country of a member without the specific approval of that organization.

The letter explained that “In the incident which took place in The Bahamas at the CARIFTA Games, our understanding is that on 6 April 2023, the Accreditation official, Ms. Kirsti Johnson held on to the badges that were printed for the Rileys pending financial authorization for release and pick-up by a Team Leader/Manager. “

“Ms. Pauline Davis entered the accreditation center and requested badges for Barnes and Riley. Ms. Davis was told that the official was unable to release the badges at this time because she could not confirm whether or not the team had paid their levy. Ms. Davis proceeded to slam her hand on top of the badges that were on the side of the official’s computer, and said, “I will be responsible,” and took the badges and walked out of the accreditation center,” the letter further stated.

According to the letter, the local organizing committee did not authorize Ms. Davis to engage in the action she
undertook.

“NACAC Athletics remains very clear that the lone authority for the granting of access to accreditation for persons from any country that has registered a representative team to compete at the event remains the national federation, in this case, the CIAA. That authority was never surrendered at any point that NACAC Athletics was aware of, at any point during the Carifta Games of 2023,” the letter concluded.

Cayman Athletics Association issued an apology to Barnes-Riley and her husband after the incident; however, it was later withdrawn.