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Suriname maintains IGG stronghold
Retain overall title, sixth consecutive
By Edison Jefford
The ostensibly indomitable Surinamese kept their Inter-Guiana Games (IGG) stronghold after the completion of the second phase of the 2009 event when they swept to their sixth consecutive overall title in their homeland on Sunday.
Suriname chalked up 47 points overall from wins in the Swimming and Female Football competitions that were held in Guyana earlier this year, and the Male Basketball, Female and Male Volleyball and Cycling contests at home.
SURINAME CELEBRATES IGG STRONGHOLD!!! Permanent Secretary for Sports Suriname, Michael Watson (centre) holds the overall IGG Championships Trophy while athletes join in the celebration following their win.
The second phase of the 2009 tri-nation IGG contest was held in Suriname from October 16-18 (last weekend) with most of the events being staged at the official Games venue, the Anthony Nesty Sports Hall in Central Paramaribo.
Guyana and French Guiana tied for second after Guyana won Track and Field and placed second in Swimming, Cycling and Male Basketball. French Guiana finished second in the other events to equal Guyana’s 31 points overall score.
Suriname cemented its place as the most successful IGG country with the 2009 victory at the Anthony Nesty Sports Hall, where they celebrated following the announcement of the remarkable achievement in the calendar Guiana Games.
The Games were inaugurated in 1967 with founders Orlando Van Amson, E Abdoelrama, Eddie Van Genderen from Suriname; Mac Donald from French Guiana and Derek White from Guyana. Suriname had won the first IGG event.
Guyana’s eastern neighbour continued to win overall until an eight-year vice was cracked in 1975 when Guyana won their first overall title. Suriname won the following year when the event was held in Guyana to launch a four-year reign.
Guyana won again in 1979 before political strife in both Guyana and Suriname cancelled the Games in 1981. The IGG did not return until Suriname hosted in 1993 where the host claimed the top spot before French Guiana won in 1996.
That was the only overall title for French Guiana in the history of the Guiana Games with Guyana recording three general titles after their last win in 1997. Guyana has only won in 1975, 1979 and 1997 while Suriname has dominated.
Suriname won until the Games were again temporarily annulled in 2001 and returned five years later. There has only been six IGG Championships from 1997-2009 while Suriname has won all of them to mark 21 Games titles generally.
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