Guyana’s CARIFTA Games performance deserves applause

Dear Editor,

Two Golds, two Silvers and two Bronzes for the Guyanese contingent at the just concluded 2013 CARIFTA Games in The Bahamas deserve applause. It’s a clear message to the power houses of the Caribbean that Guyana is currently at many disadvantages, but strides are being taken to face up to the challenges..

The non-medal athletes should use this experience to keep building a much stronger mindset and hopefully when the Synthetic Track is completed, Guyana will be able to showcase a much higher level of competition to their rivals.

As a reminder to parents and guardians, it would be wise to begin your quest of investing or saving towards “Spike Boots’ and “Starters Blocks.” In doing so, athletes can begin their preparations very early with their techniques on grass and it would not be too difficult with the transition process to the synthetic surface. That applies to the sprinters (100, 200, 400M).

The reality is that some serious adjustments will have to be made with persons’ schedules/timings because of the distance between Georgetown and Leonora and I am quite sure with early planning, situations will work out for everyone.

It did catch my attention from one of the reports in the dailies a couple of days ago that the coach Mr Shaun Dietz of the famous Guyanese athlete, Miss Kadecia Baird (USA-based and World Junior Silver Medallist) that her focus is now towards the 2013 World Championships in Moscow. That was indeed great reading for me because these are the level of meets that Guyana needs to be more frequently in.

Perhaps the Athletics Association of Guyana (AAG) can now via a press release say who, if any more Guyanese have been selected to attend the Moscow Meet or whether there will be a local meet to decide who will be accompanying Miss K. Baird.

In closing, I have recently learnt of Mr Colin Ming of Mings Products and Services offering a long-term commitment of endorsement towards Miss Tirana Mitchell and I was very elated with this news. Whatever the terms and conditions, I sincerely hope that this athlete understands her responsibility as a brand ambassador of the company that has made such a wonderful gesture of endorsement. These opportunities don’t come too often.
 
Yours faithfully,
T. Pemberton