Dear Editor,
The Sunday Guyana Times’, July 31, 2022 sports headline screamed, `GPF holds highly successful Annual Athletics Championship’. The article was in relation to the Guyana Police Force’s 67th Annual Athletics Championships which were concluded at the National Track and Field Centre at Leonora, West Coast, Demerara. I am not certain how the success was measured, particularly at the highest level.
According to the news item, “The person adjudged Best Overall Male in ‘A’ Class was Michael Mackenzie of Trinidad and Tobago with 46.50 points; and the runner up was Quacy Morian of the Guyana Police Force, who scored 45 points. Sheldon Maison of Trinidad and Tobago came in third with 34 points. “
Editor, I cannot remember when last at the Police Annual Athletics Championship a foreign athlete was adjudged the Best Overall Male ‘A’ Class, more so another one occupying the third position. What has happened to our Male ‘A’ Class athletes? Is it that the standard of our athletes has declined like other areas in the Force? Our police athletes have constantly dominated the local championship when competing with other police athletes from our sister Caribbean countries. They also came out with flying colours when competing against other police athletes in the Caribbean. I can vividly recall when I was the Sports Officer, Marian Burnette ruled supreme at the Trinidad and Tobago Police Athletics Championship to such an extent that their Commissioner wrote our Commissioner of Police, Laurie Lewis to find out whether or not Marian Burnette was a member of the Guyana Police Force. She went on to represent Guyana at the Olympics and Commonwealth Games among other international events.
I am happy to note that Colin Boyce was recently appointed Sports Development Officer for the Guyana Police Sports. I hasten to predict that given the necessary support Colin will not only raise the standard of athletics but all other sports in the GPF. Best wishes Colin.
May God help the Guyana Police Force.
Yours respectfully,
Clinton Conway
Assistant Commissioner of Police
(Retired)
