The athletes and officials of the three sports disciplines are ready for take-off in the first stage of the 2008 Inter-Guiana Games which will be held from May 1-4 in Suriname.
After meeting with all team managers and coaches of the three sports disciplines – swimming, athletics and football – on Friday, Director of Sport Neil Kumar said that all of the preparations are on schedule for their departure Wednesday.
“We have finalized all the travel arrangements, the accommodation, the medical supplies and uniforms for athletes and we are currently counting down for the departure of the teams early Wednesday morning,” Kumar said.
Kumar also said all of the athletes have been immunized against yellow fever and he has made preparation for them to take part in the cultural aspect of the games which will be included in the opening and closing ceremonies.
On Friday afternoon, Minster of Culture, Youth and Sport Dr. Frank Anthony accompanied by Kumar and the Administrative Officer of the National Sports Commission Gervy Harry visited the swimming team at Colgrain Pool and the athletics team at the Police Sports Club Ground, Eve Leary.
The Minister and the Director of Sport assured both groups of athletes, who were having one of their final meetings with officials and parents, that everything was on schedule for the 2008 IGG.
Tomorrow, Anthony is scheduled to visit the football delegation, before he kicks off the first ball when the IGG selectees take on the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) team at the GDF Ground at 6pm.
Team manager of the football delegation Lawrence Griffith said that this will be final stage in naming the team that will be participating in the IGG.
“The final squad for a football team usually takes a while to be selected as you would need to find the right combination of players who are gelling and performing well together at the same time,” he said.
“After this game against GDF, we hope to reduce the 24 players that we have short-listed, to the final 18 that will be traveling,” Griffith added.
One of the prospects for the IGG football team is Alpha United’s Andrew Murray Jnr, who recently returned from a one-week training stint at Sunderland’s Academy of Lights. The football officials include national coach Wayne Dover as head coach, assistant coaches Gilbert Sampson, Kavin Pearce and Keith O’jeer and referee Mark Young.
Stabroek Sport understands that some of the athletes from the three delegations will be encamped at the National Gymnasium before their departure early Wednesday morning.
The entire Guyana contingent is scheduled to leave the National Gymnasium on Wednesday morning at 4am, en route to Moulsen Creek to cross the Corentyne River via the ferry.
The athletes and officials will be staying at the Startdust International in Paramaribo and will return on May 5.
