This Day in History: CACGs held in Kingston
Key Points(5)
- <h2> CACGs held in Kingston</h2> This day in Caribbean history, August 11, 1962, the National Stadium opened its doors to host the ninth Central American and Caribbean Games (CACG) in Kingston, Jamaica.
- The games held that year included 1,559 athletes from fifteen nations.
- During these games, team Jamaica runner, George Kerr, won Gold in the 400 and 800 meter run, with teammates Mel and Malcom Spence winning Silver and Bronze respectively.
- Kerr, who also participated in the Olympic Games in Rome, won bronze medals in the 800 meter and the 4x400 meter.
- Kerr was among Jamaica's more enduring Olympians, representing his country and the wider Caribbean in 1956, 1960 and 1964.
CACGs held in Kingston
This day in Caribbean history, August 11, 1962, the National Stadium opened its doors to host the ninth Central American and Caribbean Games (CACG) in Kingston, Jamaica. The games held that year included 1,559 athletes from fifteen nations.During these games, team Jamaica runner, George Kerr, won Gold in the 400 and 800 meter run, with teammates Mel and Malcom Spence winning Silver and Bronze respectively. Kerr, who also participated in the Olympic Games in Rome, won bronze medals in the 800 meter and the 4x400 meter. Kerr was among Jamaica's more enduring Olympians, representing his country and the wider Caribbean in 1956, 1960 and 1964.
The CACGs are the oldest continuing regional games in the world, and only the Olympics have run longer. It is a multi-sport regional championships event, held every 4 years, typically in the middle year between Summer Olympics. Mexico, Cuba and Guatemalawere the three countries present at the first games, which were then called the Central American Games.
In 1935 their name was changed to Central American and Caribbean Games to reflect expanding participation. Thirty one nations took part in the 1993 games in Puerto Rico and the 1998 games in Venezuela.
