Latest update April 24th, 2024 12:59 AM
Jan 07, 2015 Sports
By Edison Jefford
The Athletics Association of Guyana (AAG) began 2014 in controversy when in its first calendar event, the season-opening Cross Country race in New Amsterdam, enthusiasts were critical of the association for hosting what they called a “road race” instead of a Cross Country race.
Running Braves Athletics Club (RBAC), Cleveland Thomas and Rising Stars Alika Morgan won the male and female titles with Police Progressive Youth Club (PPYC) alleging that they weren’t invited to participate in the event in the Ancient County.
Cross Country races are usually held in rough, hilly terrain, which is one of the main facets of the event. Wartsila Operations Guyana Inc. through its 20th Anniversary celebrations in February made an encouraging input to local athletics when they hosted a lucrative 20km Road Race in March that doled out $3.3M in individual cash and other prizes.
Cleveland Forde won the male race, which attracted local and overseas-based athletes, while Trinidad and Tobago’s Tonya Nero took home the female accolade in the March 2, 2014 race.
Apart from hosting the race, Wartsila also donated a Road Race timing device to the association, which facilitates about four road races annually.
However, before Wartsila’s ray of sunlight, the association had belatedly hosted the 2013 Senior Championships where PPYC’s Winston George became double sprint champion, and was accused by Morgan’s Coach Leslie Black of belatedly informing the athlete of her selection to compete at the South American Games in Chile in March.
AAG President, Aubrey Hutson had said that Morgan’s selection was an “on-the-spot decision” that the association had to make because the Guyana Olympic Association (GOA) was “on their back for athletes for the Games…”
The AAG had named Morgan, Thomas, Forde and Wayne Harlequin was identified for the 400m and 800m. Harlequin was a surprise inclusion in the team and PPYC took umbrage over the non-selection of its athlete, Kevin Bayley. Guyana returned medals-less.
More controversy surrounded the association’s selection criterion when it named RBAC Coach, Sham Johnny as Head Coach for the eight-member 2014 CARIFTA Games team. Letter writers had questioned the selection of Johnny as Head Coach, alleging that he was involved in a sexual matter that reached the Courts with a female student from North Ruimveldt Multilateral School among other acts of behavioural mischief.
The AAG hosted a press conference to defend the selection of Johnny, stating that he was never charged. Apart from sending Johnny to Martinique, the association persisted with the Coach with another trip to Mexico after the CARIFTA Games.
Guyana claimed four medals at the CARIFTA Games in Martinique owed to double defending champion, Cassey George, and Kadecia Baird. George defended her 1500m, 3000m titles, while Baird won the 400m and took silver in the 200m after stumbling across the finish line. They were the only medallists of eight athletes.
Forde continued his dominance on the road when he won the CARICOM 10km Road Race while Guyana snared two bronze medals through RBAC Jason Yaw and Jevina Sampson at the Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Junior Championships in Mexico in July.
Guyana also participated in the Pan American Sports Festival in July in Mexico with US-based, Stephan James along with Natrina Hooper and Elton Bollers representing the country, which did not appear on the medals table.
July continued to be one of the busiest months for the association internationally, when Guyana was represented at the XX Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland. James, George, along with US-based Jeremy Bascom and Adam Harris competed again with limited success, reaching the semis, but returning no medals for Guyana.
Forde raced to wins in the Ainlim 10km Road Race while Thomas won his maiden major 10km Road Race in the Courts event with Forde absent owed to the Chikunguna virus. Forde returned amid his ailing to defend his IAAF South American 10km Road Race title, defeating Trinidad & Tobago’s, Richard Jones.
Meanwhile, Guyana’s distance-running duo, Kelvin Johnson and Lionel D’Andrade continued to enjoy overwhelming success in Trinidad where they are based. The duo consistently topped road races, placing first and second, in the Twin Island Republic.
The Commonwealth Games quartet was also sent to the Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Games in November with PPYC again protesting the exclusion of Bayley, after a dominant year in 2014; the athletics association did not rescind the decision. George performed creditably in the 400m, reaching the finals in the event in November.
Guyana closed the year on a high when RBAC Yaw and Natricia Hooper raced to bronze medals in respective 400m events at the South American Youth Championships at the end of November in Columbia. Yaw became the new South American Youth Championship record-holder after he set a new standard, running 46.79 seconds to erase the old mark of 47.46s in the event.
Following their return, the athletics association was quick to organise a courtesy call on Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Dr. Frank Anthony, who has held athletics at ransom for five years now owed to the incompletion of the Synthetic Track at Leonora.
The AAG has failed to put any pressure on the minister to complete the facility, which started its works in 2010. This is the fifth year of construction for the facility and the association remains in a state of silence, leaving GOA to champion its cause. It was the GOA that paved the way for the Olympian, Winston George to practice on the track in November.
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