Anthony Foster, Freelance Writer

PROVIDENCIALES, Turks and Caicos:

CARIFTA GAMES Under-20 discus champion Raymond Brown has sent a strong message to his senior colleagues that he will be a force to reckon with this season.

Brown, who won Jamaica's first gold medal at the 36th Carifta Games, said his training was geared towards sparking at the National Championships in June.

"The programme that I am on now is for the senior trials," he said, after throwing 49.95 metres at the newly built Turks and Caicos National Stadium.

Brown said his coach, Linval Swaby, who worked under instruction from Stephen Francis, told him it was time to have a go at the seniors in the throwing events.

Dorian Scott is Jamaica's top shot putter. He held both indoor (20.49m) and outdoor (20.52m) records. Jason Morgan and Ricardo Page are two of Jamaica's other top throwers.

Not difficult to adjust

Asked how he will march up against the seniors in the shot put, he replied: "These guys are throwing like 16-17 metres with the 16-pound shot, Dorian is throwing 20 metres.

"I am throwing 16 metres with the 16 pound, so if any of these guys slip, I will be there," he warned. The junior weight is 13.75 pounds. He was also quick to point out that it was not difficult to adjust from the junior to senior level."It isn't hard, because I am training with the senior ball at UTech," he said.

On yesterday's opening day of the three-day Championships, Brown, who received support from hundreds of Jamaicans in the stands, said he was determined to win Jamaica's first gold.

"I am feeling very good to know that I won the first gold medal for my country. It was a little bit hot out there but when I saw the Jamaican fans in the grandstand all that was on my mind was do it for Jamaica," said the former Bridgeport High student.

He was aiming for the Carifta Games record, but fell almost six metres short. But he is now determined to erase the mark in the shot put."I have a better chance in the shot putbecause I have thrown further than the record already ... For this year, everywhere I go as a junior, I want to break all records."

Brown, who says becoming the first non-American to win the shot put at Penn is his biggest accomplishment to date, is also aiming at the world junior record in the discus.

"I am just looking forward (to the remainder 2007) and see if I can go ahead and try to attempt the world junior record (65.88m)," he said.