PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad — Trinidadian authorities canceled next month's inaugural Caribbean Games, saying there was too great a risk of spreading swine flu by hosting the region's athletes and supporters.

Minister of Health Jerry Narace said today he recommended rescheduling the weeklong event until the flu threat subsides but officials determined it would be too difficult to find another date this year so "postponement will mean cancellation."

At least a dozen participants in a volleyball tournament, including players from the Trinidad and Suriname teams, tested positive for H1N1 influenza after a tournament in Trinidad last week.

Narace said the fact that athletes and their delegations had to share rooms was a factor in the spread of the virus.

Trinidad's double Olympic silver medallist sprinter Richard "Torpedo" Thompson and rising 400-meter runner Renny Quow, along with the Cuban boxers and Dominican Republic's volleyballers were expected to be the biggest stars at the games.