BVI Adaejah Hodge and Jamaican Alana Reid To Face Off In Carifta 100m Tomorrow

One of the big questions at this year’s 50th Carifta Games is will British Virgin Islands young star Adaejah Hodge dominate the track and again take home the coveted Austin Sealy Award.

The 16-year-old 200m U20 world recold holder will run her first race – 100m – tomorrow evening, Saturday, April 8 in Nassau, Bahamas.
She is up against another outstanding young runner – Alana Reid of Jamaica.

Commentator Ricardo Chambers during today’s opening ceremony in the Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium said he is looking forward to seeing the matchup between the BVI and Jamaica.

“The big event for me to look forward to on day number one is the Under 20 Girls 100m, a straight up class. Alana Reid out of Jamaica versus Adaejah Hodge of the British Virgin Islands. Hodge trying to become only the seventh athlete to win back to back Austin Sealy Award. If she is to repeat as (the) Austin Sealy Award winner, you get the feeling she will have to win the 100m tomorrow night and it will be absolute fire.

Hodge proudly wore the colours of the territory during the march pass alongside her 29 teammates.

She goes into the games just weeks after being named the MileSplit50 Athlete of the Year in the United States.

The teenager has had an impressive season, racing 22.33 and smashing a national record in the 200m that re-set a new World U20 record at New Balance in Boston.

But it was her performance at the 2022 Carifta Games in Jamaicia that gained her regional stardom.

Hodge was named the most outstanding athlete, winning the 100m in 11.29, the 200m in 23.42, and gold in the long jump with a distance of 6.20 metres.

The Carifta Games were inaugurated by Austin Sealy, then president of the Amateur Athletic Association of Barbados in 1972.

The main goal behind the well known junior regional competition ( Under 17 and Under 20) is to improve relations between Caribbean countries using sports.

A total of 28 countries are participating in this year’s games which concludes on April 10.