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‘Little Kenyan’ takes it to the cane fields
Says Ballantyne cannot intimidate him
By Edison Jefford
Some pundits are of the opinion that Cleveland Forde is well on course to become one of the most successful distance runners in the Caribbean and based on recent performances, those beliefs may very well develop into facts.
Pamenos Ballantyne
Cleveland Forde
Forde is one of the most feared competitors in the region and there is less doubt that he is perhaps the only person that is able to continually relegate nemesis, Pamenos Ballantyne in recent history. The pundits might just be right.
The athlete returned from Trinidad on Monday morning after winning the Eastern Credit Union Granny Luces 15km Road Race ahead of foes, Richard Jones and Ballantyne, and made his claim to the throne known yesterday.
“Anybody can say whatever they want to say. He (Ballantyne) has the right to make any statement. I would think it’s just him being himself. That is the way he talks all the time,” Forde told Kaieteur Sport.
“Believe it or not, I train in the cane fields on my own. I don’t have a coach. Some are of the opinion that I need a coach, which is good, but I need a coach to take me to the next level and that is hard to find,” Forde lamented.
The ‘Little Kenyan’, as he is known, was responding to Ballantyne’s proclamation in this newspaper during an interview last week that he does not think that Forde would not be a threat in the upcoming marquee CARICOM 10k.
“Cleveland is my friend and I want to give him a lot of credit. He is young but despite the CARICOM race being held in Guyana this year, I don’t think he will be a threat. I have a lot of experience,” Ballantyne had indicated.
The quiet and humble Forde dismissed Ballantyne’s comments as part of his usually way of trying to intimidate other athletes. He made it clear that he is not afraid of Ballantyne as the pre-race hype among them continues.
The triple South American 10k Road Race winner and former Sportsman of the Year said he knows Ballantyne and what he does in every race. “The main thing for me is going out there and being the best competitor,” Forde believes.
Ballantyne had previously expressed reservation about Forde going to Kenya to train. He told this newspaper in Trinidad last year that Forde should have remained to compete in the region because of his obvious talent.
However, Forde defended his stint in Kenya on several occasions and the evidence of the training scholarship is now becoming clear as the top athlete has had to revert to a similar terrain in Guyana for his race preparations.
The Guyana Telephone and Telegraph (GT&T) sponsored athlete will leave for Barbados later this week to compete at the De Heart of Barbados 10km Road Race. He thanked his contact there, Eric Clarke for the opportunity.
Pics – Cleveland Forde, Pamenos Ballantyne
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