By Rawle Toney
Top junior athletes left here yesterday for St Lucia where they would be representing Guyana at the 38th Junior CARIFTA Games from April 10–13.
Alika Morgan, Ricardo Martin, Johnathan Fagundes, Jamaal Holder, Chavez Sital, Chavez Ageday, Jonella Jonas, Ayanna Graham and Tiffany Carto comprise the team which will be under the guidance of coach Leslie Blacks and manager Wendy Doris. It is the largest contingent to represent Guyana at the Games in recent years.
And Blacks said that he’s optimistic that the team will do well since in his view it is one of the better composed CARIFTA games squad that has ever been put together.
Junior and Senior Sportswoman of the Year Alika Morgan and Ricardo Martin are the only two athletes who have represented Guyana before at the games with Morgan being the more successful, winning a bronze and silver medal last year in the 1500 and 3000 meters races respectively.
According to Blacks, even though Morgan and Martin are expected to do well, he is certain that the new faces will perform at their best.
“People always say that Guyana’s best chances of medaling at any games not only at CARIFTA, is through their distance athletes and it has been proven over the years, but we have some very good sprinters as well, who I think will go out there and do good,” the team coach said.
He also noted that Morgan who has won five medals in her three performances at the games is not at her best physically since she is still recuperating from a broken ankle.
Blacks was also adamant that South American Youth Games bronze medalist Jonella Jonas is a strong medal contender in the Under-17 800 and 1500 meters races since she has been unstoppable on the local circuit.
Meanwhile President of the Athletics Association of Guyana (AAG) Colin Boyce said that after all the drama that unfolded regarding sponsorship of the team to the event, he is elated that Guyana could send a large contingent.
According to the AAG President, he is certain that the athletes who were selected will do well at the games.
When Boyce, a Guyana Police Force officer, took office after the AAG elections, he had said that only the best athletes would be selected to represent Guyana and once an athlete was doing well on the local scene, that athlete would be given a chance to do so internationally.
The Junior CARIFTA games team, Boyce said, is testimony of the AAG’s mandate and this approach would be continued across the board.
Twenty-five other countries are expected to join host St Lucia for the games at the George Odlum Stadium.
