Jay Donawa?s plans to compete at next month?s Central American and Caribbean Cross Country Championships (CAC) in Jamaica have been scuppered.

Donawa, who retained his Butterfield and Vallis 5K title last Sunday, has been training rigorously in the hope of bettering his performance at last year?s CAC championships held in Mexico.

But Bermuda Track and Field president Judith Simmons announced earlier this week that the event, which was to have been held in Jamaica, had been scrapped due to the low number of countries interested in competing.

?It?s like a bombshell in a sense because I was really looking forward to going to Jamaica to run,? said a despondent Donawa yesterday.

?It is a little disheartening to hear that because basically I?ve been gearing a lot of my training for cross country running which is slightly different from road running. But I guess I will have to start looking at a few other alternatives.?

The 31-year-old athlete finished tenth at last year?s championships in Mexico and had been hoping to better that performance this time around.

?I know it has nothing to do with the BTFA (Bermuda Track and Field Association), the cancellation is due to the CAC itself. Obviously it?s disappointing because I have have a tremendous passion for cross country. Cross country is my first love,? he continued.

?To compete internationally is always a tremendous interest for me and we have been doing it (competing in CAC cross country) year after year. I was hoping to have another opportunity to compete this year, but now I guess I will have to regroup and start focusing my training on something else.?

Though unable to divulge any immediate plans, the fireman said he intended to maintain his current training programme along with the form which saw him beat out perennial rival Kavin Smith during last Sunday?s race.

Reflecting upon his fine start to the new season, Donawa attributed his current form to ?years of continuous training and competing?.

?It?s just a combination of good training. But any distance runner knows that sometimes you can make all the preparations and things still don?t go right,? he explained.

?But after a period of time of just plugging away that consistency pays off and I think what you are seeing now is a result of years and years of consistency. I?ve had my ups and downs and and some bad performances. . . but I?ve also had some good performances too.?