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Did Black conceal Morgan’s injury?
Colin Boyce
Leslie Black
Alika Morgan
By Edison Jefford
President of the Athletics Association of Guyana (AAG), Colin Boyce has expressed his disappointment over the performances of ‘Sportswoman of the Year’, Alika Morgan at the recently concluded Carifta Games in Saint Lucia.
Boyce told Kaieteur Sport yesterday that while her performance was attributed to the fact that she sustained an ankle injury earlier this year, he had included the top athlete among the medals for Guyana at the junior competition.
“Frankly speaking, I am disappointed that Morgan did not medal. We did not carry out a proper check to see if she was physically fit to get on the medal podium but I would not describe that as an oversight,” Boyce indicated.
Guyana depended on new regional stars, Javina Straker, Janella Jonas and Ricardo Martin for more medals at the Carifta Games after the trio gave the country one gold and two silver medals on the opening night of the event.
Boyce said that he believed that Guyana could have won six medals if Morgan was given adequate medical attention. “I don’t want to blame it on her coach but I particularly asked about her fitness before she departed,” He recalled.
Morgan’s best performance at the Carifta Games was her fourth place finish in the 3000m under-20 girls’ race where she ran a terribly off 10:59.81 seconds. The dual Sportswoman of the Year’s personal best time in that event is 10.11.00.
According to the AAG President, Morgan had two weeks’ rest following the Inter-Guiana Games trials and that he believes also contributed to her poor performance at the Games where she is a defending silver and bronze medallist.
“We should have ensured that we got her certified medical attention. We overlooked that with the perception that she is a former medallist. We really had high hopes of her getting medals but it did not materialise,” Boyce lamented.
Despite attempting to take the wrap for Morgan’s mishap, the AAG boss was asked if the athlete’s coach, Leslie Black, who is also an AAG Committee Member, properly undated the association on her availability to compete.
If Black knew that Morgan’s injury was too serious for her to compete but concealed that information from the AAG for the benefit of exposure and competition, new questions about his role as a club and now national coach will arise.
“I don’t want to blame him but nothing was said. When I spoke to him before the national team departed, he said the injury would not affect Morgan. It was a learning lesson that we will ensure does not recur,” the AAG head noted.
Asked why congratulatory messages from the AAG to those athletes that medalled were not circulated, Boyce said that the association was waiting on the results from the other athletes to issue a general statement.
The ten Guyanese athletes that participated at the Junior Carifta Games are expected into Guyana today and a formal press conference is to be held later. Black had travelled with the team as national coach.
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