Following a press briefing at the National Centre for Educational Resource Development (NCERD) Headquarters Saturday, it was disclosed that all systems are in place for the staging of the 55th National Schools’ Championships set to start on Monday.
According to Competitions Director, Ceon Bristol, entries have been received and cleared from 15 competing Districts across Guyana, encompassing the 10 Administrative Regions, for cycling, swimming and track and field events.
Said Bristol: “We will be utilising all five days for the championships this year. We have tried to spread out the championships so that we have less events on each day. We’re trying to complete within the daylight.”
Bristol reminded that the swimming championships will be held on Day One at the National Aquatic Centre at Liliendaal. In addition to the swimming competition, two field events, long jump and shot putt, will also be held the same day.
He said that the 10km road race; 40km and 25km cycle road races will also take place Monday, November 23. The Opening Ceremony is set for November 24 at 10:30am. The track and field and cycle competitions will follow at the National Stadium at Providence.
Also present at the forum was Regional Chairperson for Region Four, Genevieve Allen, Banks DIH Non-Alcoholic Brand Manager, Clayton McKenzie, Guyana Teachers’ Union President (GTU), Mark Lyte and Principal Assistant Sec-retary (Finance) Ministry of Education, Glendon Fogenay.
Allen stated that the region is proud to be involved in hosting the Championships. “I want to take the opportunity to say to the constituents of Region Four come out in your numbers and support our athletes,” she urged.
Allen committed the institutional support of the Region to make the event a success. She said all systems will be put in place from the Region to make Nationals memorable in 2015. According to Allen, the Games Villages will also be ready in Woolford Avenue.
On behalf of one of the event’s sponsors, Banks DIH, under their Malta Supreme and Aqua Mist Water Brands, McKenzie told the audience that the company is very supportive of academics and athletics.
“Sports helps students be competitive and our tag line for Malta Supreme ‘Be Smart, Be Strong, Be Supreme’ is relevant to these Championships,” McKenzie said. Digicel and Giftland Mall are the other sponsors of the 2015 competition.
GTU President, Lyte informed that all the regions and teachers are ready to go after receiving all the support from their respective regions. “We have worked with all the stakeholders to have the successful championships we are aiming to achieve,” he said.
He said that he was happy that the event has received the support from Banks DIH, Digicel and Giftland Mall. In addition, Lyte said that the Union is happy that the Ministry of Education is on the path to supporting sport within the schools’ curriculum.
Quizzed on why the Championships was not held at the National Track and Field Centre at Leonora, Public Relations Officer, Edison Jefford said that feasibility studies were done at Leonora and it was discovered that the facility lacks the capacity.
He said that Nationals accommodates over 1500 athletes in addition to spectators and supporters of each team. According to Jefford, two Northern Stands at the Leonora Facility are insufficient to accommodate the magnitude of the Championships.
“We were faced with two decisions; going back to the stadium, which is the only facility that has the capacity to host Nationals nationwide in terms of the vision of the event, or actually building temporary amenities at Leonora to facilitate the event,” he said.
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