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Recognition of athletes must become attractive
National 400m record holder, 2002 Sportswoman of the Year, 2010 Runner-Up Sportswoman of the Year and two-time Commonwealth Games medallist, Aliann Pompey, formally addresses the media with GOA President, K.A Juman Yassin yesterday.
– says Pompey at GOA Press Conference
By Edison Jefford
Aliann Pompey believes that it is time that athletes get the recognition they deserve or there will be a risk of undermining the growth of track and field. She said that the recognition of athletes in Guyana must become attractive in an effort to expand the sport.
The renowned Guyanese athlete was speaking at an official Guyana Olympic Association (GOA) press conference yesterday at Olympic House. GOA President, K.A Juman Yassin was also there to make his input on Pompey’s visit to Guyana and on the sport.
“You know, I feel like recognition of athletes must be attractive. If you want to bring people into athletics, you have to recognise the people in athletics that are doing well, otherwise, you need to say what exactly you are saying,” Pompey sarcastically related.
The two-time Commonwealth Games medallist with silver in New Delhi India last year and gold in Manchester, England in 2002 was snubbed when she was overlooked for the 2010 national ‘Sportswoman of the Year’ Award after her outstanding season.
“Having been the first Guyanese female to have one Commonwealth medal and then the first and only Guyanese to have two Commonwealth medals, I feel it’s my responsibility to ensure that those accomplishments and milestones are noted,” Pompey said.
The United States-based Pompey, who trains and competes without Government funding, stated that it is impossible for athletes to aspire to become great without support. Her situation is unique because she is able to perform while fully employed in New York. She said that she has not been able to medal further than the Commonwealth Games because it is extraordinary when an athlete has to work two jobs, compete and still perform at the highest level. “When you have a situation like I have where I am trying to promote our athletics and encourage other people to come into the sport, I do not think you should have to phrase it in such a way that you have to be using people from other countries,” Pompey asserted, adding that there should be no problem with stakeholders seeing her, Marian Burnett, Cleveland Forde and Adam Harris, for example, as role models and Guyanese ambassadors of the sport.
Asked if the GOA has been consistently negotiating with Government for support for Pompey, Yassin said that he has repeatedly made representation for athletics and all Olympic sports, but admitted that those have not produced the desired results.
He said one of the reasons for the Government’s slow activation of more support for the athletes that have done well for Guyana could be that over the last two years they have been engrossed in the construction of sport facilities, which have tightened their budget.
“I know that there are provisions for elite athletes in the National Sports Policy. I sincerely hope that that could come on stream fully soon so that athletes like Aliann could benefit,” Yassin told the media. He said the GOA is willing but financially weak.
“We would like to say to Aliann ‘look, just stop working and train, we will finance you’ but we are not in a position to do that.
The little that we are able to do, we have been doing from funds that we have,” he revealed, adding that she needs much more support.
Yassin disclosed that track and field benefitted from two International Olympic Committee (IOC) Solidarity Scholarship grants after Pompey and Adam Harris satisfied the IOC criteria for the funding. He said two other athletes failed the requirements. The GOA President indicated that apart from Harris and Pompey, swimmer, Jessica Stephenson and martial artist, Adrian Spelling will also get the US$1,000 per month IOC Solidarity grant that commenced from January this year. He said that is a step forward.
Pompey arrived in Guyana early Thursday morning for what became a formal visit after her first purpose of visiting, which was to attend the National Sports Commission Award Ceremony, was annulled last night and postponed to next Friday at the Cultural Centre.
A reception will be held for the 2010 Runner-Up Sportswoman of the Year tomorrow night at the Olympic House. Pompey will be conducting a clinic on Monday at the Police Sports Club before she departs on Tuesday. She will miss the National Awards Ceremony.
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