IGG starts today – Guyana, Suriname reignite age-old rivalries

Nov 25, 2022 Sports

By Rawle Toney

Kaieteur News – After a five-year hiatus, the Inter Guiana Guyana Games (IGG) will make a return today.

Athletes from Guyana’s contingent at the opening ceremony of the IGG at the National Stadium. (Rawle Toney photo)

First up, cyclists from Suriname and Guyana will face each other in the Individual Time Trials in the National Park from 8:00 am.

Over at the National Track and Field Centre at Edinburg, West Demerara, athletes from the three Guianas will look to continue where they left off in 2017 from 3:00 pm.

Male and female volleyball will take centre stage from 4:00 pm at the National Gymnasium, while the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall will host the clash between the Guyanese women and their Surinamese counterparts at 7:00 pm, followed by Suriname and French Guiana in men’s action.

The IGG opened yesterday at the Guyana National Stadium with the hoisting of the respective country’s flags and remarks from officials of Government from Suriname, French Guiana and Guyana.

Athletes from the three Guianas at attention at the hoisting of the Surinamese flag at to the opening of the IGG at the Guyana National Stadium. (Rawle Toney photo)

The featured address was given by Prime Minister Mark Phillips, who spoke profoundly of his Government’s investment in sports and the importance of the IGG to the Guianas.

Phillips said sport plays an important role in the Government’s One Guyana initiative, as they continue to make investment in the sector across the country.

The November 25-27 IGG, which features student-athletes at U20 level, will make a return for the first time since it was last hosted in 2017 in Paramaribo.

This time around, the three countries will compete in the disciplines of Track and Field, Badminton, Cycling (male only), Volleyball, Lawn Tennis, Football (female only), Table Tennis, Swimming, and Basketball.

The return of the IGG is a manifestation of a promise made by President Irfaan Ali and Suriname’s Head-of-State, Chandrikapersad Santokhi, following discussions last August during a State visit to Guyana.

Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana athletes at opening of the IGG at the Guyana National Stadium. (Rawle Toney photo)

President Ali said the IGG is part of the Guyana and Suriname ‘People to People’ partnership, which he said is “bringing our people together, in a safe space that they can share and appreciate each other.”

Director of Sport Steve Ninvalle, who was tasked with meeting his counterparts in Suriname and French Guiana to finalize plans for the IGG, said though he’s happy to see months of planning being materialized in Guyana, “it’s still a job in process but it will culminate with a very successful IGG.”

“It’s the first time we will be having nine disciplines. It is the first time that we will be having over 400 athletes and officials, so it’s a huge task that we have undertaken but we have a dedicated staff and support to make this a memorable event,” Ninvalle said.

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