Int’l Olympic Day Walk/Run...Police fail to show up as Rising stars take team title

Int’l Olympic Day Walk/Run…Police fail to show up as Rising stars take team title

Jun 23, 2008 Sports

By Sean Devers
A member of the disciplined forces, the Guyana Police Force (GPF) were expected to defend the team title they won last year and entered three teams for yesterday’s Guyana Olympic Association’s (GOA) annual International Olympic Day 10km Run from outside the Thomas Lands YMCA ground to Turkeyen and back to the stating point.

However, the few members of the Police team who turned up for the 06:30hrs start were forced to run in the traditional Fun Run/Walk category which also commenced outside the YMCA at 06:00hrs.

To qualify for the team event, each team had to include six members, three of each sex and the absence of some crucial Police runners resulted in the Cops not being able to defend their team title which was won by the Leslie Black run Rising Stars team which received the $48,000 first prize.

Road Runners finished second and collected $36,000 while RYM took home $24,000 after placing third. Silver Bullets and two teams from the Guyana Amateur Swimming Association were the other teams which competed in the team race which was completed in sunny conditions.

Several national Hockey players from GCC were among the 397 runners who participated in the Fun/Walk/Run category and each participant who completed the course was presented with an IOC Certificate of participation.

In the 10km Team Run, each person who completed the course was presented with an IOC T-Shirt and certificate of participation.

The event was sponsored by GT&T, Bakewell and Dyna’s Embroidery and Screen Prints. GT&T official and Guyana Cricket Board executive Terry Holder was on hand to start the team race.

The prizes were presented to the captains of the top three teams by GOA President K Juman Yassin.
Members of the Police Traffic department did a wonderful job in ensuring their were no traffic problems for the runners along the route while supporters of the Kelvin Johnson led Rising Stars team, suggested that the Police team was running scared which is why they did not defend their title this year.