Latest update January 1st, 2025 1:00 AM
Latest News
Romello Crawford devastated by second successive year of mistreatment by GCF
By Samuel Whyte
Even with a new administration in place, sports personalities in Guyana continue to suffer at the hands of those elected to represent them. What is more heartrending is when those affected are youths still in or just out of school. The Guyana Cycling Federation (GCF) is the guilty party this time.
Romello Crawford
The federation with much fanfare selected four cyclists to represent Guyana at the Caribbean Junior Cycling Championships (CJCC) slated for the Dominican Republiclast weekend. The event was first slated to be held in neighbouring Suriname, but that country pulled out and the Dominica Republic stepped in.
The cyclists selected were Romello Crawford and Andrew Hicks both of the Trojan Cycling Club in Berbice; Jamal John of Team Coco and Raphael Leung of United Bikers. They were all in training and in top form. Crawford, who was training in Anguilla and Aruba, had returned home to round out preparations for the meet.
The Guyana Cycling Federation (GCF) however without warning at the last moment (on Thursday) informed the cyclists and their representatives that they will not be making the trip because of a lack of funds. This move left the young cyclists, their clubs and family all dejected since all their efforts have gone to waste.
President of the Trojan Cycle Club (TCC) of Berbice Kevin Crawford has taken umbrage and is very upset with the high handed and don’t-care-a-dam attitude of the newly elected GFC. According to the elder Crawford, while he cannot understand the rhetoric of the GFC secretary Maria Leung – that they had secured sponsorship for the two Georgetown riders and the Berbice cyclists could not raise their money, so they did not want to take the Georgetown riders and leave the Berbicians behind is total hog wash.
He said that officials in Berbice had secured sponsorship for both Romello Crawford and Hicks and from his understanding it was the other way around.
An upset Crawford is accusing the GCF of not doing enough to help the cyclists, make the trip and keep the Golden Arrow Head Flying.
Crawford said that he never knew that when one is selected to represent your County (Guyana) you have to be in a mad scramble to raise funds to pay your way to your destination. Despite that and from previous bad experiences they went ahead and secured sponsorship. He said that the GFC excuse is a joke and should be investigated, because he knows that the new administration would have done its best to send the team along.
The TCC president is accusing the GCF of failing to do its work and even approach government for assistance. A livid Kevin Crawford said that he personally spoke to Director of Sports Christopher Jones, who although concerned about the late request, was willing to assist in whatever way possible.
This is the second successive year that Romello Crawford has been mistreated by the GFC. In 2014 the young cyclist who was the top junior cyclist in the country at the time had journeyed to Trinidad to prepare for the championship. He was in prime condition and doing well when he received word that he was not selected on the Guyana Team. The GCF excuse then was that they thought he had migrated to Trinidad. The elder Crawford stated had the GCF checked they would have realized that he was still in school and was preparing to write his CESEC exams. In fact Romello had returned to the country in anticipation of making the team.
Not undaunted Romello Crawford continued to perform and won many races both at the senior and junior levels in Guyana. This year the young cyclist journeyed to Anguilla and Aruba where he prepared for the 2015 competition and won most of the races he participated in both countries.
The young Crawford is devastated after putting in so much work including overseas training in preparation for the championship. It is the second year he has been ill treated by the GFC and is wondering what next as he and his colleagues ponder on their next move. Romello feels that he would have won both the time trial and the road race since he was in top form and had defeated a number of the riders during his stint overseas.
Upon his return to Guyana two weeks ago, within hours, he rode away with the annual GBTI cycle road race, winning all the prime point prizes and then returned in the afternoon to place in the Grenville Felix 60 miler.
Kevin Crawford said that the club has lost confidence in the operations of the GCF and are presently weighing their options in taking legal action against the GCF.
Similar Articles
THE BLUNT OF THE DAY
Sports
Features/Columnists
Guyana recorded over 10 000 dengue cases in 2024
Kaieteur News- Guyana recorded just over 10,000 dengue cases in 2024, Health Minister Dr. Frank Anthony revealed during an... more
Breaking the Chains of Poverty: A need for political will
By Sir Ronald Sanders Kaieteur News- The year 2024 has underscored a grim reality: poverty continues to be an unyielding... more
Weekend Cartoon
