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Taking Chances: Arinze continues to excel in athletics and academics
By Edison Jefford
Guyanese sprint prodigy, Arinze Chance, who is one of the finest products to have emerged from the National Schools Championship, continues to take his chances in Trinidad and Tobago where he is excelling in both
Arinze Chance
athletics and academics.
The 22-year-old former representative of North Georgetown, student at Bishops’ High and Queen’s College, and athlete at the Police Progressive Youth Club, is now enrolled on a partial athletics scholarship at the University of Trinidad and Tobago (UTT).
The naturally endowed Chance just recently lowered his personal best (PB) time in the 300-metre at a national Development Meet that was held at the Larry Gomes Stadium in Trinidad. The 33.7 time suggests Chance’s continued improvement.
“It’s an improvement that I’m happy about. He has been training really hard; in the morning and afternoons,” Chance’s father, Phillip Chance told Kaieteur Sport yesterday. The proud father said that some systematic changes have helped his son.
He indicated that Arinze has an entire team of professionals at UTT, who work to get him to the desired level of competition. Those include nutritionists, physiotherapists and coaches, who work with the University-based athlete consistently.
“He has improved since moving to Trinidad to attend University. I think the training over there is lacking here to some extent because; for instance, his nutrition is different, and that is something I never saw them (Coaches) paying attention to here,” Chance said.
Arinze was second for UTT Fast Track in the 300m behind Alpha Athletic Club’s, Tacuma Sterling who ran 33.36. The performance was an impressive season-opening mark for Chance because his previous PB was 34.65, which he achieved last year.
The time has been listed as a new school record. The time adds to his 400m record of 46.81s at the same institution. In addition to his continued athletics improvement, Arinze is also doing well in school where he is majoring in Petroleum Engineering.
“He is very disciplined and I think that is paying off for him,” Phillip said. Asked if Arinze plans to return home after completing his programme, Phillip answered in the affirmative, more so with Guyana’s emerging oil and gas sector as an incentive.
Arinze will compete tomorrow at the Secondary and Tertiary Relay Carnival in Trinidad, which is a selection precursor for the Penn Relays in April. Chance will also compete at the University Games in Taiwan and University of the West Indies Games in Barbados in the first half of 2017, which are expected to provide further evidence of his improvement.
Once he continues to get better, Chance could be among the candidates to support for the 2020 Olympic Games in Osaka, Japan. Arinze’s primary events are the 200m and 400m races with the outstanding student-athlete Olympic chance more existent in the 400m.
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