Jamaica names second string athletics squad for CWG

Kingston: Athletics powerhouse Jamaica has named an understrength 46-member squad sans some of the

biggest stars in the world, including top sprinters, for next month`s Commonwealth Games in India. Apart from double world record holder sprinter Usain Bolt, Asafa Powell, world and Olympic champions Shelly-Ann Fraser (100m) and Melaine Walker (400m Hurdles), whose absence are already known, Jamaica has named second string sprinters for the October 3-14 Games. In the men`s 100m race, Lerone Clarke and Oshane Baily, who both have more than 10 seconds timing this season, are leading the challenge. There is no Yohan Blake, no Nesta Carter -- the leading Jamaican this season (9.78s) -- and even Michael Frater, who all are sub 10 sec runners this year. In men`s 200m also, in the absence of Bolt, Powell and Blake who all are sub 20 sec runners, the responsibility of leading the Jamaicans has fallen to Lansford Spence, who has a season`s best of 20.63sec. In women`s 100m, Jamaica has named mostly unknown names without season`s world leader Veronica Campbell Brown, Shelly-Ann Fraser, Kerron Stewart and Sheri-Ann Brooks. There is no Melbourne Games gold medallist Sherone Simpson either in the 200m race, who clocked 22.65sec in July in Paris. Jamaica dominated the sprinting events in the previous edition in Melbourne, winning gold in both men`s and women`s 100m, 200m, 4X100m relay, men`s 110m hurdles and women`s 100m hurdles. In the absence of the big stars, prominent members of the squad are top woman 800m runnner Kenia Sinclair who won silver in Melbourne, IAAF Continental Cup double gold medallist woman 400m hurdler Nickesha Wilson, and two other 2006 Games silver medallists -- men`s shot putter Dorian Scott and men`s decathlete Mauruce Smith. There was a major blow to the 4x400m team also after the withdrwal of two members -? Allodin Fothergill and Roxroy Cato. The withdrawal leaves just six men in the mile relay pool, which includes former national senior 400m champion Lanceford Spence, who has been named to run both relays as well as the 200m, and 800m specialist Ricardo Cunningham. There were a number of surprises in the team, including IAAF World Junior Championships 100m bronze medallist Remaldo Rose, who is coming off injury and ran sparingly this season. 400m hurdler Josef Robertson, who also ran sparingly with little success and former decathlon national record holder Claston Bernard, who has been out of the sport for several years, have also been included in the sqaud. Jabari Ennis, who retuned to pole vault this year after several years away, was named to the team along with the US-based Christopher Smith. Both team manager Judith Ewart and head coach Maurice Wilson agreed Jamaica`s main chances for medals will come form the field events where national record holders Maurice Smith Dorian Scot and Jason Morgan (discus) have been selected. PTI