By Tamica Garnett
The Athletics Association of Guyana (AAG) has selected six overseas-based Guyanese and one home-based athlete to represent Guyana at the track and field division of the Central America and Caribbean (CAC) Games to be held in Mayaquez Puerto Rico from the 22 – 28 July.
Coming out of Guyana, Cleveland Forde is expected to attend the event while the AAG is hopeful that overseas-based athletes Aliann Pompey, Marian Burnett, Adam Harris, Gordon McKenzie, Lee Powell and Devon Bond would attend the event to represent Guyana.
The athletes are expected to attend the CAC Games with manager Branford Duff.
Speaking with the President of the AAG, Colin Boyce, Stabroek Sport was told that these athletes were considered the “cream” of the athletes capable enough to represent Guyana at the prominent event.
“We are sending the cream of our athletes that would be able to give a good account at this meet. We are not just looking to send athletes to the CAC for a joy ride……these athletes were selected as the team best able to get to the finals or even getting to the medal podium,” Boyce explained.
But attaining the best of the best has always carried a hefty price tag, and the case is no different in this situation. Boyce disclosed that like all other sporting disciplines in Guyana that will be attending the event, the cost to attend was a strenuous weight on the association.
Boyce said that the AAG had hoped that the athletes would pay their way to the event and later be reimbursed by the association but the athletes are demanding a different arrangment.
“The AAG is not in a financially strong position to stand the entire airfare, we were thinking that they could have travelled to the Games and we could have perhaps reimbursed them later on, but we will have to reassess the situation,” Boyce stated.
“I spoke to Marian (Burnett) this morning (yesterday), she is in Germany and it will be
US$500 to get her to the games. And she said she will only participate if Guyana is paying the full passage,” Boyce said.
While the AAG is responsible for the athletics division, the overall planning and organizing of Guyana’s attendance at the international quadriennial event falls under the jurisdiction of the Guyana Olympic Association (GOA) headed by President K. Juman-Yassin.
The GOA had budgeted to assist the various sporting associations to get their athletes to the event, and declared their ability to pay half the cost with each of the respective associations expected to foot the other half, but this has proved to be troubling for most of them.
The associations have been looking for assistance from all possible avenues and have continued to beckon to corporate Guyana to lend a helping hand. Some organizations have begun to extend financial assistance, but such luck is yet to bestowed upon the athletics contingent.
Apart from the GOA’s assistance, according to Boyce, the AAG is still faced with a staggering $1.081M budget.
On the brighter side of things, Boyce disclosed that according to his understanding the government of Guyana was “likely” to extend some assistance and the AAG is awaiting the outcome of these discussions before it decides on its next move. Nevertheless a confident Boyce maintained that regardless of that outcome, the AAG is resolute in sending some athletes to the event.
“We’ll definitely be sending athletes even if it means that we have to scale down the amount of athletes,” Boyce said.
Director of Sports Neil Kumar, had, in an earlier interview with Stabroek Sport, pledged the government’s support to the event.
Kumar had affirmed that the “government will be giving its unflinching support to the associations and the GOA for their presence to be felt in Puerto Rico.”
When contacted yesterday Juman-Yassin confirmed that his association has indeed been in communication with the Ministry of Culture Youth and Sport. Juman-Yassin stated that the GOA had submitted all the necessary information and was simply awaiting an answer from the ministry.
“Yes talks have occurred, and a letter with all the details, as was requested, has been submitted to the ministry. We’re just waiting on a response, so hopefully by next week we will hear something,” Juman-Yassin related.
