CARIFTA team preparation not hampered by Track & Field facility upgrade

CARIFTA team preparation not hampered by Track & Field facility upgrade – Hutson

Jan 10, 2023 Sports

By Rawle Toney

Kaieteur News – With the National Track and Field Centre closed for upgrades, president of the Athletics Association of Guyana, Aubrey Hutson, said the country’s preparation for this year’s CARIFTA Games will not be affected.

AAG president, Aubrey Hutson

While work has commenced on the football field, Guyana’s lone synthetic facility will be resurfaced by German firm Regupol BSW.

According to Director of Sport Steve Ninvalle, in an article published in Kaieteur News on January 8, the European entity was awarded the contract to resurface the track for the sum of GYD$78.3 million or €352,000.

Ninvalle said the technicians are scheduled to arrive by the first week of February to commence the process, which has a timetable of completion by the end of April (weather permitting).

The National Track and Field Centre, which serves as an epicentre for entertainment and international sporting events, was officially opened in 2015 (April 17), costing $1.804B or US$5.2M.

Hutson told Kaieteur News yesterday that the AAG met with Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport Charles Ramson Jr, where they were told that work on the track “…shouldn’t last for more than two-to-three weeks, of course permitting the weather.”

The Bahamas will play host to the CARIFTA Games, April 7 – 10, and Hutson said, with the track still being open for use until the German company is ready to begin, the AAG will make use of the time available.

“To my understanding, they’re also going to lay the track in Linden, so we’re looking at what will be available to us. We didn’t have many events planned for April so we wouldn’t be affected, except for the field events. But that’s not a problem because there are other venues we can utilize for that,” Hutson said.

Hutson said the AAG General Council will meet this weekend, where they will formalize plans for the selection of their team.

He explained that the AAG is looking to adopt some best practices from their regional rivals, noting, “We’re going to meet as a body and identify the areas and events we’re certain we will do well and identify athletes for those disciplines for trials.”

Hutson said that based on some of the performances from the National Schools Championship last year, the AAG was able to identify some “very good prospects,” along with the medallist at the 2022 Games who are still eligible.

“As it relates to our medal chances, I’m pleasantly optimistic about us doing well. We’re yet to sort out our events (we want to compete in), and as I mentioned, we’re changing our approach to selection to come up with the best possible team,” the long-serving AAG president said.

The AAG boss explained that they’re still hoping to send 20 athletes to the games in Nassau, which he had reported will cost an estimated $10M.

Some members of team Guyana at the opening ceremony of the 2022 CARIFTA Games (Emmerson Campbell photo).

“We’ve already submitted our budget to the Ministry and the Guyana Olympic Association (GOA), along with our regular sponsors and supporters,” Hutson said.

Hutson reasoned that the AAG will be taking a cautious approach with regards to their engagement with Corporate Guyana this year in anticipation of a busy international calendar, with the likes of the South American Senior Championships, Pan Am U20 Championships, Senior World Championships and emphasizing Guyana competing in the Men’s 4X100m relay at the aforementioned events and other notable championships.

At the 2022 games in Jamaica, Guyana ended their participation with seven medals– two gold, three silver and two bronze – while finishing fifth in the medal standings behind Trinidad and Tobago (23), British Virgin Islands (7), The Bahamas (17) and Jamaica (92).

Attoya Harvey and Anisha Gibbons won gold in the 1500m and U20 Javelin respectively.

However, Harvey’s memorable performance on the track left the competition in awe.

Competing in the U17 event at her first outing at the CARIFTA Games, Harvey won gold in the 1500m (4:45.75), silver in the 3000m (10:51.40) and bronze in the 800m (2:14.08).

Narissa McPherson – silver (U17 400m), Javon Roberts – silver (U17 1500m) and Adriel Austin – bronze (U20 800m) are the other medallists from the country’s 13-member team.