By Tamica Garnett

Just Sports Products and Services is set to debut the latest thrill to hit the athletics arena, ‘De Gold Striders Games’ in June.  Set for the Everest Cricket Club Ground on June 5 and 6, the sports company said spectators should expect a vibrant atmosphere as several of Guyana’s most prominent athletic clubs are expected to participate.

 Stabroek Sports understands that speculation was rife that the company had organised the meet independent of the Athletics Association of Guyana (AAG) which had caused some confusion among the clubs.

Derrell Gittens

While most club officials Stabroek Sport contacted about the games have said that they had committed an athlete to participate, a few club managers were uncertain about the event and the AAG’s involvement.

One club manager said he could not guarantee his athletes’ participation until he is sure that the AAG has sanctioned the meet. However, in an exclusive interview with Stabroek Sport  event organizer, Derrell Gittens, said since the company conceived the idea for the games it has been in frequent dialogue with the AAG and though the games are being held independent of the association, it has sanctioned it. Gittens also told this newspaper that the AAG authorized the event about two months ago, a statement reiterated by its president Colin Boyce. The AAG even furnished the organisers with an approval letter dated March 13.

According to Gittens, the idea for the games was formed since January and it was originally set for April 16-17 but due to the ICC Twenty20 World Cup, organisers were told that their preferred venue would not be available until early May. The AAG too had had several events planned for May which caused the games to be put down for next month. Gittens also said he would not have hosted the meet without the AAG’s “technical support” as this would have put the athletes and the event at a disadvantage. The AAG’s involvement is necessary to comply with the specifications of the International Associations of Athletic Federation (IAAF) and without it the meet would be no more than “a little bottom house something” Gittens said. He also pointed out that if an athlete were to break a record, that record would be null and void  if the meet were not up to IAAF specifications.  Gittens said ‘De Gold Striders Games’ is the fourth event that the committee will be implementing for the year and so far it has had no conflict with the AAG. With some lucrative cash prizes and trophies up for grabs for participating clubs, the meet has already begun to generate suspense, and has clubs gearing up their athletes in anticipation of a win. Athletes will be participating in events to gain points for their club or school. The event will be held in the under-17, under-23 and open categories. At the close of the games, points will be tallied and the top four clubs will receive monetary prizes, while all other participating clubs will receive consolation prizes. A registration fee of $500 per athlete will be charged. According to Gittens, the games are aimed at vamping up spectator enthusiasm for sport and sparking an interest in the corporate sector. He is also hopeful that the event will make it easier to solicit sponsorship for athletes and sporting events. This time around, the organizing committee has taken a more serious approach to marketing the meet. Gittens said this was done in order to boost the athletes’ excitement for the games. While, multiple incentives exist for participants in other sporting disciplines when it came to athletics, individuals often just competed “for the love of the sport. “Athletes have been participating all year and they haven’t received so much as a pin. They’re just running for the love of the sports. But how long can an athlete just do it for the love. Guyana has some great athletes but  when the athletes become men and women they can not sustain themselves on the sports,” Gittens asked.