By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

A number of Caribbean track and field stars, including Jeffery Gibson and Tynia Gaither, will be among the field to participate in the inaugural Grenada Invitational scheduled for the National Athletic Stadium in St George's next month.

Gibson will be matched in an epic men's 400 metre hurdles against Javier Culson from Puerto Rico, Roxory Cato from Jamaica, Jehue Gordon from Trinidad & Tobago, while Gaither will contest the women's 100 metres against a field of Caribbean and American sprinters that is being finalised.

It was also confirmed that Grand Bahamian Alonzo Russell and Abaco's Steven Gardiner will compete in the men's 400m, national record holder Leevan 'Superman' Sands will be in the men's field for the triple jump and Ivanique Kemp will participate in the women's 100m hurdles.

Bahamian veteran quarter-miler Chris 'Fireman' Brown, whose Invitational was scheduled to return to the local calendar but was called off due to a lack of financial commitment, has been the athletes’ liaison for the Local Organising Committee of the Grenada Invitational. He's been working diligently in getting the best talent assembled for the island known for its spices.

Brown has already been able to help lure a host of Jamaicans, including Asafa Powell and Veronica Campbell-Brown, who confirmed their participation for the invitational last December.

Also expected to participate from Jamaica are Kaliese Spencer, Christine Day, Javon Francis, Andrew Riley, Roxroy Cato, Michael Frater, Remona Burchell, Novlene Williams-Mills, Yanique Haye, Jason Young, Nigel Ellis, Romel Lewis, Nickiesha Wilson, Danielle Dowie, Jura Levy, Saniel Atkinson-Grier, Dexter Lee, Jason Livermore, Fitzroy Dunkley, Natasha Morrison, Damar Forbes, and Dominique Blake.

Jamaican-born Jacques Harvey, who now competes for Turkey, is also confirmed for the Grenada Invitational.

Trinidad and Tobago and Barbados also have some of their top athletes confirmed.

Jarrin Solomon, Reyare Thomas, Jehue Gordon, Samantha Shukla, Sparkle Mc Knight, Deandra Daniel, Emmanuel Callender, Keshorn Walcott, and Shakeil Waithe from Trinidad and Tobago and Barbadians Kierre Beckles, Jade Bailey, Gregmar Swift, Levi Cadogan and Shane Brathwaite are also booked to compete.

Kim Collins of St Kitts and Nevis; Levern Spencer of St Lucia, Puerto Rico's Javier Culson, Great Britain's Martyn Rooney and Americans Justin Gatlin, LaShawn Merritt, Brianna Rollins, Ashley Spencer, David Oliver, Queen Harrison, Kristi Castlin are among some of the other athletes also confirmed for the one-day meet.

Nigeria's Regina George and Patience George, Phylicia George of Canada and Panama's Alonso Edward are among the confirmed athletes.

During the Grenada Invitational on April 8, journalist Michael Bascombe, one of the local organisers, have confirmed that the Grenadian government will be renaming of the Chinese-built national stadium in honour of the island's lone Olympic medallist Kirani James, who will also lead a contingent of local athletes in the invitational.