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CARIFTA athletes awaiting Government intervention
-Half of 10-member team still to procure funding
By Edison Jefford
The Athletics Association of Guyana (AAG) is assured that half of the ten
AAG President, Colin Boyce (left) makes a point yesterday during a meeting with some of the parents of athletes who will be representing Guyana at the Junior CARIFTA Games.
athletes it had named for the Junior CARIFTA Games in Bermuda, April 6-9, will attend the Games after they got the requisite funding for them while the other half hangs in the balance.
Speaking to Kaieteur Sport yesterday at the Police Sport Club Ground before he met with parents of the athletes who will be representing Guyana, AAG President, Colin Boyce gave an update on the status of the team after he had appealed for funding earlier this week.
“We are optimistic that the Government will come on board and ensure that these talented junior athletes get this golden opportunity that they so much deserve,” he said, adding that their purpose of competing at the Games is two-fold.
According to Boyce, the CARIFTA Games presents great competition and opportunity for local athletes to achieve the qualifying times for the World Junior Championships in July. He said that apart from the CARIFTA Games, athletes will have to be sent to Central America and Caribbean (CAC) Junior Championships, which will be much more expensive, to qualify.
He continued to plead with Government to cease the opportunity to help send the junior team to the CARIFTA Games. “We are hoping that we won’t have to omit anyone from the team. We are anticipating a favourable response from Government tomorrow (today),” he said
He said that four of the five athletes who made the qualifying standards have been funded, so far, while the Guyana Olympic Association (GOA) is expected to fully fund Rupununi-based, Caiton Samuels for the Games. Samuels was not among those who qualified.
The AAG President had indicated that the association needed another $2.9m to send all those who were named to the Games; the AAG had raised $1.9m through fund-raising and sponsorship and is likely to use that sum on offsetting expenses related to the tour.
He informed that it will cost US$1450 per athlete for airfare since the team will be in-transiting in the United States on their way to Bermuda. The entire team has so far secured their US visas and the AAG have until this afternoon to confirm their airline tickets.
Boyce noted that the other costs they are incurring include track suits and competition uniforms for the team, the Games levy and their per diem; hosts Bermuda will provide the accommodation and meals for the participating teams inside a designated Games village.
The association had selected five athletes whose place on the team is certain after they made the qualifying standards; those athletes included Chavez Ageday, Stephan James, Davin Fraser, Tevin Garraway and Timothy Fullington.
Meanwhile, another five athletes, who narrowly missed the qualifying standards, were named as part of a 10-member team; those athletes included Andrea Foster, Rupununi-based athlete Caiton Samuels, Tirono Mitchelle, Shomaine Daniels and Letitia Myles. Julian Edmonds was named as the Coach while Pamela Phillips was identified as Manager.
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