Jaikarran Sookai wins Assistant Commissioner (ret’d) Eon Amsterdam’s annual birthday cycle race

Sep 26, 2024 Sports

Participants organisers and sponsors pose for a photo opportunity at the conclusion of the Eon Amsterdam cycle road race around New Amsterdam.

Kaieteur Sports – Veteran cyclists Jaikarran Sookai showed that age is just a number when he won the annual Eon Amsterdam birth Anniversary cycle road race in Berbice.

Sookai beat back the challenges of some of his younger and more established counterparts to win the race, which was held last Sunday, for riders in Region 5 and 6. The seven laps’ event around the town of New Amsterdam saw some 18 riders take to the starting line.

Amsterdam, a retired Assistant Commissioner of Police, was a former commander of Berbice. He was ably assisted by his current counterparts in the GPF including Region 6 Commander Shivpersaud Bacchus and Deputy Commander Assistant Superintendent Michael Newland.

The event was started by Bacchus and saw the riders taking off from Republic Road and Charles Place, turn left into Vryheid Street, left into Main Street, to Tacama Turn and left into Republic Road for seven laps.

Sookai rode home ahead of Andrea “Padlock” Green with Sidwell Sandy coming in third.

Sookai was the top veteran on show with Syborne Fernandes second and Clement Doris third. The top juvenile was Sidwell Sandy, who won from Jeremy Callender.

There were eight sprint point prizes up for grabs with Green and Sandy taking 2 each, Sookai grabbed one and Randolph King taking the other. Franco Crawford Senior got a prize for being the top over 50 on show, while Deon David was second.

Top juveniles pose with Amsterdam (centre back row) along with Newland, Roberts (back right) and Bacchus (back left) at the completion of the race and presentation of prizes.

Commander Bacchus presented a special prize to nine-year old Franco Crawford Jr for being the youngest cyclists to participate on a racing bike. There was also a special prize presented to 73 years old Daniel Rigby for being the oldest participant to complete the event.

Amsterdam, who hails from Berbice, was an ardent participant as well as a fan of sports. He also served as traffic Chief and Commandant of the Felix Austin Training School and Commander of other areas before retiring from the force.

Amsterdam along with family members and members of the Berbice police high command assisted with the distribution of the prizes, which included cash, trophies and other memorabilia.

The event was organized by the Flying Ace Cycle Club (FACC) and coordinated by long serving National Coach Randolph Roberts.

This is the fourth year that the event has been sponsored by Amsterdam. The first was at his retirement. The event has since become a regular affair.

Both Amsterdam and Roberts thanked the participants and all those who assisted in making the event successful. (Samuel Whyte)

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Annual, Assistant Commissioner, Birthday, cycle race, Eon Amsterdam., Jaikarran Sookai

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