AAG hopeful athletics can resume in August with Nat’l C/ships

May 03, 2020 Sports

World Athletics; governing body for track & field globally, had announced last month that the second weekend of August, the eighth and ninth, has been established by the entity’s newly created Global Calendar Unit for National Championships by respective member associations.

Guyana and other athletics associations around the world will hope that all goes well so athletes can resume on the track action.

The calendar, which has no place for the Wanda Diamond League or the World Athletics Continental Tour for the rest of the year, will enable national federations and associations the opportunity to hold their Championships without clashing with any global meetings.
However, World Athletics is only encouraging associations to do such only if it is has been deemed safe for athletes to compete during that weekend in August. In addition, the governing body has noted that they are looking to arrange an international competition season later in 2020 (after August) to assist athletes with their preparations for the rescheduled Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games in July-August 2021.
Head of the Athletics Association of Guyana (AAG), Aubrey Hutson, noted that, “We will be guided by our government’s position on coronavirus locally. The lockdown has been extended to June 3rd but we will still go ahead and start putting things in place with the hope that August 8 and 9 will be a reality for us while we wait.”
“We don’t want to be caught with our pants down and scrambling after June 2nd if health officials say yes, we can have championships again and the only difficulty I see is sponsorship.”
Huston further explained, “How do you talk to a sponsor in this time, while businesses are experiencing losses? And, as you know, the AAG and their events are heavily dependent on corporate sponsorship. The only solution to that possible conundrum that I foresee is scaling back on certain things that you’d expect to see at a National Championship.”
World Athletics announced last month that the Olympic qualification period will remain suspended until December 1st. (Calvin Chapman)

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