Defending national inter-club track and field relay champions, Royal Youth Movement (RYM) athletic club will seek a repeat of last year’s dominant performance at the Police Sports Club ground, Eve Leary today.
Some of the top clubs in the country will congregate at the popular athletic track from 1 pm when the Athletic Association of Guyana (AAG) hosts the 2007 national inter-club relay championships. Upper Demerara (Linden) is expected to come out with its usual strong contingent to challenge the Georgetown-based RYM, Progressive Youth Club (former Police Athletic Club), Bedford All -Stars and other clubs from the East Coast and Berbice.
A number of AAG-affiliated schools are expected to participate in the event including Bygeval Multilateral, President’s College and New Campbellville Secondary, among other top athletic schools.
Royal toppled Police Athletic Club (now Progressive Youth Club) last year to take the national inter-club relay crown. The club has grown since then and will field strong teams in all seven categories of the meet the seven categories include the boys and girls under-15, under- 17, under-20, men and women in the 4 x 100 metre, 4 x 200 metre, 4 x 400 metre sprint and distance medley races.
As usual, the men’s 4x100m relay is expected to be the marquee event of the day featuring some of the top 100m sprinters in the country.
Two of the likely candidates in the RYM 4x 100m team, Joel Brotherson and Keith Roberts will come up against nemesis from the former Bedford All-Stars, Rawle Greene, Emmerson Campbell and probably Jemel Fields.
The Police will also field a strong 4x100m team that includes 2006 junior 100 m champion Goddis Accra, while Upper Demerara is expected to spring surprises.
However, the individual strength of teams doesn’t matter as much as smooth baton passing in relays. It will be all about the transition of the ‘stick’ and the ‘leg’ an athlete competes today that will give a team the edge.
RYM usually dominates the junior categories but that can change today with the growth of the Progressive Youth Club and Upper Demerara. The local athletes will seek to feast on the rare opportunity they get to showcase their ability.
An AAG release said points would be awarded to the first six finishers in each final. According to the release the final points result for large fields in the events to be contested will be according to ‘Final by Time’.
