A really confident Guyanese contingent will depart this morning at 03:00hrs from the National Gymnasium to take part in the 2011 Inter-Guiana Games (IGG) scheduled for October 19-23 in Suriname.
The tri-nation event among Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana will see seven sporting disciplines been played – Athletics, Swimming, Football, Basketball, Volleyball, Cycling and Chess.
The meeting among the three countries previously had three separate stages dividing the sporting disciplines into different segments with each stage being held in a different country throughout the year.
However, the meet has developed into one grand stage being held in Suriname due to various problems earlier in the year.
Guyana will head to Suriname with full strength teams for each discipline with the exception of a female football team due to monetary problems. Speaking with Director of Sports, Neil Kumar via telephone he underscored his confidence in the contingent heading to Suriname.
“I’m very confident that they will do well. We had a lot of programmes and a lot of training was done and the various associations that were responsible did a good job, so I’m really confident,” Kumar stated.
With Guyana being dominant in athletics over the past decade with their only lapse coming last year when they lost the female segment of the championships, Stabroek Sport spoke with the 2011 coach for the athletics team, Julian Edmonds, who expressed his confidence in the athletes.
“Well it’s a stronger team than last year and this year we have some people that were absent from last year with us this year, the likes of Jevina Straker and Chavez Ageday who were absent last year are improvements and even the vast improvement in Stephan James from last year is a difference…all in all I think it’s a good team and I believe we have what it takes to win, our athletes will also be race fit due to the preparations for the various school sports that have been going, so I’m confident of our chances,” Edmonds stated via telephone.
Gordon Braithwaite, coach for the IGG male football team also expressed his confidence to Stabroek Sport about his football side.
“It’s a young team and I’m confident that they will give a good account of themselves, they understand what it is to represent Guyana and they have come a long way along with being a disciplined bunch, so I’m proud of them even before they play,” Braithwaite stated.
Meanwhile as efforts to contact coaches for the other sporting disciplines proved futile, Guyana is set to put forth one of their best performances this year at IGG 2011.
