JAMAICA ATHLETES could suffer a major setback in their bid to tackle their American counterparts at next week's Island Games in New York if that country's embassy does not issue them visas.

Several of Jamaica's top junior athletes, including National 100m Junior record holder Yohan Blake and Schillonie Calvert, winners of World Junior and World Youth 100m titles in Beijing, China and Marrakesh, Morocco, respectively, are without U.S. visas.

Both these athletes, along with World Youth 200m bronze medal-list Latoya King of St. Jago, Garfield German of Calabar and Ramon Berch of Jamaica College, and several others are without visas despite travelling to the Penn Relays in Philadelphia for the past four years.

Information reaching The Gleaner is that despite several attempts by the schools, the U.S. Embassy is yet to grant the stu-dents an appointment date.

Patrick Payne, CEO of the Island Games, said documentation of about the Games was sent off to the embassy some weeks ago.