Day Three ends in chaos
The 48th annual National Schools Track and Field, Cycling and Swimming Championships were thrown into chaos yesterday and it is unlikely that it will be completed today as scheduled.
Up to late yesterday a number of events were not completed as per schedule among them being the 200, 400 and 800-metre events.
Only some of the sprint events were completed including the U20 100m which was the last 100m event to be run off.
The event was first thrown into disarray when the line judges failed to correctly assign the placings to the athletes upon the completion of a number of the sprint heats.
Roxanna Rigby of New Amsterdam wins the female U20 100m yesterday evening a prior to the games being halted. (Kizan Brumell Photo)
According to unconfirmed reports, the three Georgetown districts, South, North and East Georgetown’s athletes’ have been the most affected by this scenario.
The incorrect placings of athletes by the judges led to an invasion of the ground by the athletes which further prevented the organizers from running off the events as per schedule.
In the midst of this situation athletes and track stewards were accosted and cursed by individuals some of whom were under the influence of alcohol. Delon De Abreu of East Georgetown told this newspaper that he was chucked by an obviously inebriated individual as he was about to warm up for the U-20 100m event. Stabroek Sports also understands that the same individual also ran up in the face of Linden Wilson, the official starter. Wilson, however, who is a member of the Guyana Police Force, apparently did not find the matter to be a laughable one and the individual Stabroek Sport understands, is spending the night as a guest of the Mackenzie Police Station.
Meanwhile, most of the field events are yet to get underway after the athletes walked out of the ground last evening raising fears that the championships might end in chaos with all the events not completed and no winner declared.
The day began with a few record breaking field, cycling and sprint events and after 30 finals, Upper Demerara/Kwakwani were leading the track and field segment with 147 points with Corentyne, 107 points, in second place and Essequibo Coast/ Pomeroon, with 100 points, third. Organizers, who apologized for what transpired said that the competition will continue today with events commencing at 9am.
In this Kizan Brumell photo a few athletes from the East Georgetown District are seen making their way to the Mackenzie Sports Club ground’s exit.
Come on guys, pull it together!
Children of the Corentyne District should not be debarred from performing at the National Level when they were FIRST in events at the Inter Zone/Branch level . How could we produce the likes of Usain Bolt when children Under 8 who came FIRST in 3 events were being overlooked for “more favoured” athletes in the Corentyne District , so as to cut cost? What has happened to our pledge to develop children’s self esteem and to focus on their total development? Are we really interested in moulding the nation’s children? I wonder. We, the educators are killing the “Usain Bolts of Guyana” when athletes are cheated.This could have been the athletes’ moment to shine at the National Level, winning the most coveted medal- GOLD.
as an athlete who came through the school system its a shame to see the way how our young athlete are been treated by those in control.