“We would like to see gold medals”

Mar 22, 2013 Sports

– Minister tells CARIFTA team

Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Dr. Frank Anthony yesterday urged the CARIFTA Games Track and Field team to bring home gold medals when the team paid him a courtesy call before it departs Guyana for the March 29 –April 1 Games in the Bahamas.
“I would like to urge you athletes to go out and do your best because we would like to see gold medals,” Anthony urged, while pledging his Government’s full support of the team where possible. .

Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Dr. Frank Anthony (centre) takes a photo opportunity with the members of the CARIFTA Games team and AAG Officials yesterday.

“I want to say, as it is customary, that the team that is going out has the full support of the Ministry in moving forward because when delegations go out to these Games they are really going out as Ambassadors of Guyana,” he said.
He said that the various challenges of the sport must be used to fuel development. He said that the construction of the Synthetic Track and Field Facility at Leonora is one of the ways his Government is investing in the sport.
He urged the Athletics Association of Guyana (AAG) to put their development plan in place as it is the greatest challenge to his Ministry.
“While we’re very confident of getting all the engineering for the track done our greatest concern is that we would like to see programmes being put in place,” Anthony said.
AAG President, Aubrey Hutson expressed his confidence in the athletes and stated that the AAG development plan will soon be issued.  The CARIFTA team comprising of nine athletes namely, Jevina Straker, Cassey George, Jason Yaw, Tirana Mitchell, Alita Moore, US-based athletes, Kadecia Baird, Ashley Tasher and Syron Mackenzie will leave Guyana on Sunday for the Games.