By Rawle Toney
Guyana will be defending their athletics title from April 23-26 when they compete in the first leg of the 2009 Inter-Guiana Games in Georgetown.
The team of 28 athletes, 14 males and 14 females, has already been selected and according to coach Linden Wilson, they stand a very good chance of repeating last year’s performance.
When the first leg of the 2008 games was held in Suriname, Guyana dominated both the track and field events of the championships but this time around, the organizers have made some modification to the athletics competition, separating the male and females, and giving them their own points standing.
However, Wilson said, this will only enhance Guyana’s chances of winning the games overall since he is certain that both the local males and females will win their respective championships.
Wilson who has been around the Inter-Guiana Games circuit since 1997, said: “The way they have organized the games this year will certainly work in our favour to win overall because if you look back at last year, our athletes were by far the most dominant among the other two countries and most of them are back this year and are performing better.”
The veteran athletics coach who was at the helm of the successful team last year said that he believes this year’s squad is a bit more composed and will perform better.
“It was real difficult for us to put this team together because of how stiff the competition was and this would tell a lot about the depth in the team. The athletes from last year have all stepped up tremendously from the last time while the newcomers I must say earned their spot in the team,” Wilson said.
Wilson is delighted that the athletics competition is scheduled for the Police Sports Club ground, Eve Leary, since he believes that this would help his athletes mentally because they are all accustomed to the venue.
“Running at the Eve Leary ground I think will hype my athletes up so to speak because it’s a place they all call home and I think the crowd support which they will have is also going to boost them mentally.”
Several athletes from the Inter-Guiana Games squad are at present representing Guyana at the Junior CARIFTA Games in St Lucia and the coach sees this as a means of helping them in the preparation for the Inter-Guiana Games.
South American Youth Games bronze medalist Jonella Jonas and Junior and Senior Sportswoman of the Year Alika Morgan will spearhead the strong field of athletes in the women’s division, while sprint ace Triston Joseph and newcomer Ricardo Martin will head the men’s team.
The full team reads: Males: Triston Joseph, Ricardo Martin, Valan Adams, Frank Mercurius, Kevin Bailey, Okeni Stewart, Dellon De Abreu, Winston Caesar, Jamaal Chrisholm, Chavez Sital, Obie Hardaway, Marlon Moshet, Hammer Alexander and Michael Bowman.
Females: Alika Morgan, Jonella Jonas, Deja Smartt, Roxanna Rigby, Letitia Myles, Shanna Thornhill, Nadine Rodriques, Javina Straker, Lawanda Whaul, Teshwanna Doris, Lisa Bowman, Shinead Emerson, and Shebekia Prince.
Meanwhile, Stabroek Sport was informed that the athletes will be training at the Police Sports Club ground from next week under the guidance of coaches Raymond Daw and Wilson and will be encamped prior to the start of the games.
The first leg of the Inter-Guiana games will see the three countries (Guyana, French Guiana and Suriname) competing in athletics, swimming and football.
