Latest update April 7th, 2026 12:30 AM
Boyce lauds athletes for beating odds in Brazil
– says Government did not respond to budget
President of the Athletics Association of Guyana (AAG), Colin Boyce yesterday celebrated the two bronze medals Guyana’s four-member team won at the South American U-23 Championship in Brazil last weekend, bemoaning the lack of Government funding.
Boyce pointed out that the lack of enough funding prevented them from sending all five athletes to Brazil for the Games. Initially, five athletes were named for the competition, but due to lack of funds, Jevina Straker was left behind.
Chavez Ageday and Stephan James secured bronze medals in the 100m and 400m respectively. Natrina Hooper and Cindy Fraser was Guyana’s other representatives. It was Ageday first bronze medal and his fastest 100m electronic time (10.65s) and James bettered his personal best with the 46.52 time.
Guyana’s representative athletes at the South American U-23 Championships in Brazil, including the two bronze medallist Chavez Ageday (standing, left) and Stephan James (right), swarm AAG President, Colin Boyce, General Secretary, Claude Blackmore and Mark Scott.
“We have recognised the need to garner funding early to attend such meetings because the longer we take to purchase tickets, the cost get above economical,” Boyce said, adding that he had yielded to the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports’ request for the submission of a budget to cover such events.
He said the budget was submitted in a timely manner, but yet there was no response to suggest that the Ministry would have supported the athletes.
“For the Brazil trip, the first quotation was in the vicinity of US$1500. Then we were hoping to travel from Georgetown to Lethem through the border into Brazil, then fly from Boa Vista to Sao Paulo for a cost of US$900 per ticket. That price would have allowed for all five athletes and a coach to go. But the funding was not coming so we lost that golden opportunity,” he said.
The AAG President said that he is hoping that the Ministry’s approach changes for the better in the future, in light of their ‘Road to Rio’ plan, which, in his view, must factor in Guyana’s brightest prospects. He said the AAG will complete its Action-Plan this week.
Boyce stressed that for the athletes to be properly acclimatised, they have to arrive in the country one week prior to the meets, which was in a direct response to the athletes’ claim that they were not able to breathe easily in the high altitudes of Brazil. He lauded the athletes for their efforts and returning with two medals despite the odds. (Edison Jefford)
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