Latest update April 7th, 2025 6:08 AM
CARIFTA Games team need another $1M
The bugbear of corporate funding for national teams has once again raised its ugly head when the President of the Athletics Association of Guyana (AAG), Colin Boyce, disclosed yesterday that a further $1M is needed to send the CARIFTA Games team to Jamaica.
Jevina Straker
Chavez Ageday
Boyce told Kaieteur Sport that the AAG is in possession of $500,000 of the $1.5M it requires for the national junior team to compete in Montego Bay, Jamaica. He revealed that the cost of one of the airline tickets for the athletes is around US$900 or Guy $180,000, alone.
“We are working feverishly to have everybody onboard. Our priority order (of selection) is based on who gets funding but we really don’t want to leave anyone behind. We want to ensure that the athletes who were selected go,” Boyce said before a meeting this midday.
The AAG had a meeting to discuss, among other things, the state-of-affairs as it relates to having all the athletes named on a six-member team in Jamaica next weekend. He said that logistically a stop-over in Kingston is possible for the team before Montego Bay.
Corporate funding for national sport teams aiming to compete internationally has been one of the steady hindrances of national sport development. Earlier this month, the AAG had indentified an enterprising team to compete at the prestigious CARIFTA Games.
Melissa Byass, Nathaniel Giddings, Stephan James and Trevon George were four new faces who were identified to compete at the event. Seasoned athletes Chavez Ageday and Jevina Straker are among the more experienced that comprised the six-member team.
Nathanie Giddings
Stephan James
Byass was named to compete in 400m, 800m and 1500m Girls’ Under-17 events; Giddings in the 1500m and 5000m U-20 events; James in the 200m and 400m U-20 races; George in the 800 and 1500m U-20 races. Double CARIFTA Games gold medallist, Straker will attempt a three-peat in the 1500m. Straker will be competing in the 800m race as well with the ‘Junior Sportsman of the Year’, Ageday, was named to compete in the 100 and 200m sprint events.
Similar Articles
THE BLUNT OF THE DAY
Sports
Features/Columnists
Anticipation without preparation
Peeping Tom… Kaieteur News- The Vice President of Guyana, ever the sagacious observer of the inevitable, has reassured... more
The U.S. “Joining” the Commonwealth: an unreasonable expectation
By Sir Ronald Sanders Kaieteur News- Recent media stories have suggested that King Charles III could “invite” the United... more
Weekend Cartoon
