The “De Gold Striders” athletic event is still on despite having to share the limelight with the Guyana Olympic Association’s (GOA) Olympic Day Run, Walk and Jog event says event organiser Derill Gittens.
Both events are scheduled for this Sunday with “De Gold Striders Games” being held at the Police Sports Club Ground where the registered eight participating clubs will vie for some $1M in cash and prizes.
Gittens said one of the good things about the situation was that none of the clubs participating in his event will be participating in the GOA event.
Athletics clubs Mercury, Ruralites and Royal Youth Movement are all scheduled to participate while Rising Stars and Running Brave have decided to present a united front and have joined forces to present a well balanced collection of athletes, the organizer disclosed.
Rising Star’s usual shortcomings in the sprint division will be filled this time around by their teaming up with Running Brave which club boats top under-20 female sprinter Neisa Allen among others.
Also participating will be Enmore Athletics Club from the East Coast, Upper Demerara Police Athletics Club from Linden, Beacon Athletics Club from the West Bank and the sole participating school Tutorial High.
Gittens said the absence of the Police Progressive Youth Club and the Guyana Defence Force Athletics Club should not be missed with the fierce competition expected.
Commenting on the absence of the two clubs, Gittens stated that although he would have welcomed the extra competition the absence of the two clubs should in no way impact on the overall competition as most of the leading athletes are scheduled to appear.
“We still have most of the top athletes taking part. We’re going to have Guyana’s top female sprinter Alicia Fortune, we have Allen, Chavez Ageday, Curtis Fraser, and Wayne Harlequin,” Gittens stated.
The two clubs have chosen to forego the meet after it was disclosed that the event will not be sanctioned by the Athletics Association of Guyana (AAG).
The ruling body for athletics in Guyana decided not to sanction the event because according to AAG president Colin Boyce athletes under the age of 16 cannot compete for cash prizes.
Gittens, however has said that the Under-16 athletes will not compete for cash but for other prizes and that the cash will go to the clubs that win the meet and not the individual athletes themselves.
Boyce has stated, however, that the event has his blessings and his wishes for success as it is all about the athletes.
“I would love to see the meet run off,” Boyce stated.
The meet will feature athletes participating in track and field events in four categories – under-17, under-20, under-23 and Open.
