Citing the reluctance of the Bermudan government to amend its COVID-19 regulations, the North American, Central American and Caribbean Athletics Association (NACAC) has decided to cancel the 2021 Carifta Games that were scheduled for August 13-15 this year.

NACAC released a statement announcing its decision this evening.

Carifta 2020 was not staged because of the global pandemic and Bermuda transferred its hosting responsibilities to 2021. Originally scheduled for Easter weekend, this year’s edition was first postponed to July 2-4 and then to August 13-15.

Now, Carifta 2021 has been struck from the NACAC calendar.

According to NACAC, it arrived at the decision as the Government of Bermuda maintained that the 14-day quarantine for unvaccinated visitors is non-negotiable, making it highly impractical for there to be an Under-17 category as is the norm and for NACAC to stage the region’s premier junior track-and-field meet.

 “The NACAC Council regrets the decision to cancel Carifta 2021. For the second year running, young, hard-working athletes have been denied the opportunity to represent their respective territories at the world’s premier junior track and field competition,” the federation said in its statement.

 “To the region’s young athletes, keep training. For those who are eligible for the July 9-11 NACAC U18 & U23 Championships in San Jose, Costa Rica, we encourage you to maintain focus on this competition.”