Fans getting ready to welcome and enjoy a string local and overseas stars

Jul 13, 2017 Sports

Athletics fans in Guyana are getting ready to be part of what will be the biggest athletics meet ever to be held in the ‘Land of Many Waters’ this Saturday at the Leonora Track and Field Facility.
The 2nd annual Aliann Pompey Invitational (API) will feature a string of local and international stars from 19 nations and led by World Champion, the famed Kim Collins of St. Kitts & Nevis.
Guyana’s own, Compton Caesar, the first local to win the Carifta Games Boy’s Under-20 100m final, which he achieved in April this year and followed up with the South American Junior Championship 100m gold on home soil last month and Olympian Winston George, who will contest the 400m Invitational, will headline the local’s challenge for glory.
With prize monies being increased more than 200% from last year and an anticipated packed stadium, fans are in for some mouth watering action following the opening ceremony on Saturday afternoon from 15:00hrs sharp.
Collins along with T&T 2017 National champion Emmanuel Callender, Antigua and Barbuda’s Tahir and Chavaugh Walsh, Dominican Republic’s Yancarlos Martinez, Levi Codogan and Jaquone Hoyte representing the Land of the Flying Fish, USVI’s Fred Dorsey, Bermuda’s Tre Houston and locals boys, Compton Caesar, Jeremy Bascom, Rupert Andel Perry, Owen Adonis, Tevin Garraway and Emanuel Archibald will be battling in the men’s 100m invitational with the winner collecting the gold medal and USD$1000. Silver and bronze medals will go along with purse of $600 and $400 dollars, respectively.
The women’s 100m Invitational will feature Guyanese USA based Brenessa Thompson coming up against the likes of fellow Guyanese and the indefatigable Alisha Fortune, Kenisha Phillips apart from the USA’s Tawanna Meadows, T&T’s Rayare Thomas, Zakiya Denoon and Semoy Hackett; the Barbadian duo of Jade Bailey and Tristan Evelyn as well as the USVI’s Lavern Jones-Ferette, all being in contention.
The women’s 400m serves up an interesting multi-nation line-up, Guyana’s Kadecia Baird, Avon Sameuls, Alita Moore and Jenen McCammon lead’s the hometown charge against BVI’s Ashley Kelly, St. Vincent & the Grenadines’ Kineke Alexander, Jamaica’s Dominique Blake, Robin Reynolds of the USA, Puerto Rico’s Grace Claxton, Katrina Seymour of the Bahamas, Janeil Bellille of Soca Country and Yanique Hay-Smith of the Turks and Caicos Islands are all included.
On the men’s side, George and fellow locals Stephan James, Arinze Chance, Samuel Lynch, Kelton Cumberbatch and Darrin Henry will be aiming to hold their own against the likes of the USA’s Brycen Sprattling, Sheldon Mason and Kern Alexis of Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaican’s Rayon Lawrence and Jonia McDonald, USVI’s Rodney Griffin and Malique Smith, Barbados’ Fabian Norgrove and Kion Joseph.
The men’s and women’s 200m will be another showcase with a number of the athletes in the 100m repeating as they test their fortunes in both events.
The field events will also serve up some interesting rivalry with Andrea Foster, who is currently on break from her scholarship in the USA, being the favourite for the Women’s 1500m in an all Guyanese showdown.
The men’s 3000m will be another all local affair as will the men’s javelin. The USVI’s Wanetta Kirby is the lone foreigner in contention for the top podium spot in the women’s high jump and is sandwiched between Natrina Hooper, Tatyanna Blair, Cindy Fraser, Shontel Browne, Virlyn Gibson and Cariesa McBean.
Athletes were expected to start arriving last night and will continue to do so today ahead of what is anticipated to be a memorable day for the sport in Guyana, this Saturday.

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