Fifteen-year-old Jevina Straker says that even though she was denied a chance of competing at the 6th IAAF World Youth games this year, she is not deterred and will use it as a motivating factor to do even better in the future.
Competing at the just concluded 38th Junior CARIFTA games in St Lucia, the Tutorial High school student grabbed Guyana’s lone gold medal at the championships. Along with Ricardo Martin who took silver in his race and Jonella Jonas bronze in Jevina’s race, Straker made her qualifying time in the Girls under 17 800 metres running 2:14.74 as compared to the games qualifying time of 2:16.00 She was then the Athletics Association of Guyana’s (AAG) automatic choice after it was explained by President Colin Boyce that the IAAF had offered Guyana two athletes and one official for the championship because they were considered a non-qualifying nation.
But Straker received a shock on Friday when she was told that she was too young to compete at the World Youth championship because she was born in 1994 and had to have been born between 1992 and 1993 to be eligible.
Yesterday, the Meadow- brook Gardens resident spoke with Stabroek Sports. She’s naturally upset and disappointed because after learning that she had qualified to compete at the World championship, she was overwhelmed with joy. She said the disturbing news that followed made her feel as though a part of her was lost.
“Well yes I am very much disappointed but even though I am, there is nothing I can do, its not an AAG games, it’s the IAAF, so if they say I’m too young, then all I have to do is accept and just work harder so that I can make up for it by making the next youth games” said Straker.
Jonas will be taking the place of Straker at the Games and since the two are friends as well as club mates at the rising star track club, she wished her all the best. “I know that Jonella will do well because she is a good athlete so I want to wish her all the best”.
Jevina’s mother Patricia Straker says that she too was a bit downcast after hearing that her daughter was not eligible.
“I know how hard my daughter trained and work before going to that games and myself along with her father, we are very supportive of her where athletics is concerned and I am very disappointed but then I know that there was nothing the AAG could have done, it’s an IAAF meet so all they have to do is follow the rule and work harder next time around” said Mrs. Straker.
According to the fourth form student, this would give her more time to focus on her academics and still keep the focus of making it next time around.
“I have plenty time and plenty games to come, so I will be aiming at bettering my time because by then I will be moving up to a tough category which is under 20”.
“I also have to balance my school work and that is very important right now because next year I will be writing my CXC and nine subjects. But right now I’m looking at doing good at the Inter Guiana Games this weekend and better my timing and so on” said the soft-spoken teenager.
Her mother also said that it will be a bit difficult on her daughter since she will have to also balance the rigours of training and her books.
She is a strong advocate of her offspring becoming a balanced student/athlete. “As a parent I try my best to make her feel comfortable. I would let her know that she needs to be a good student because sports is not all and so far she has been doing fairly well in school.”
“Presently she attends lessons and she trains from 4:30 am to 7:00 am and when she comes home from lessons or school I would enquire about what was done and so on you know….and try my best to keep her on the right track….her father also does his part, he does the same as me because as parents we want her to accomplish both on and off the track”.
Jevina who runs the 400, 800 and 1500 metres races says that apart from becoming one of Guyana’s best athletes, she wants to become an architect or a pharmacist.
