Suriname retained their Inter-Guiana Games (IGG) overall first leg title winning all but the athletics competition and amassing a total of 38 points, while Guyana settled for second with 28 points and French Guiana once again finished at the bottom with 24 points.
The Dutch-speaking Caribbean country was able to place second to Guyana in the track and field competition and easily won the male and female swimming and football championships as the curtains for the event came down on Sunday evening at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall with a cultural and prize-giving ceremony. AThe championships started with Guyana totally dominating the track and field event as host athletes won almost every race but the Surinamese were always around even though they did not finish at the top of the podium on a regular basis.
The home side’s track and field performance on the first day did not spill over to the swimming and football teams as their Eastern neighbours had other plans.
In both disciplines they exacted revenge and did so more emphatically than the Guyanese as the Suriname national anthem became the theme song for the games.
Meanwhile French Guiana, who has never been considered a real challenger for the top spot, made an impression on the first day when their male and female football teams tore the home side apart with the women beating the first time Guyana side seven goals to nil while the men made light work of the local boys two nil.
At Sunday’s event, the head of delegations all lauded the keen rivalry which was shown throughout the competition by the athletes.
Guyana’s Sports Minister, Dr. Frank Anthony has called for the establishment of a joint committee which will be responsible for preserving the rich history of the games and for more cultural cohesion between the three countries.
And while the IGG over the years has seen competition in swimming, football, basketball, athletics, volleyball and most recently cycling, Minister Anthony has challenged the organizers to add another game to the list.
“Chess is my pet game,” said Anthony, “and it would be great if the three countries can add this game to the calendar since I believe it could stimulate the mind of the athletes and bring a new twist to the championships.”
The Athletic Association of Guyana (AAG) and the Guyana Swimming Association (GSA) were both lauded by Anthony for their tireless efforts since the two bodies managed to organize their respective championships flawlessly.
New pool
Meanwhile, Director of Sports Neil Kumar disclosed that the next time around swimming will be moving from the Castellani Pool to their own facility, so there will be a higher standard. This development was greeted with rapturous applause from the athletes in attendance.
The next leg of the games would see the three countries competing in the field of basketball, volleyball and cycling in Suriname in October this year. Guyana through the Director of Sports and Minister of Sports vowed to be in demolition mode and warned Suriname and French Guiana that they will be coming for the title.
Suriname at present hold the distinction of being the entire IGG title holder since winning outright in 2007.
That year, Guyana only participated in the second leg and also hosted volleyball and basketball, and it was the same year that cycling was included. The first leg was held in French Guiana and Guyana did not compete because of the hosting of the super eight matches during the ICC Cricket World Cup event.
Last year when the first leg of the games was held in Suriname, the host country won all but the athletics competition which was won by Guyana.
The second stage which had been scheduled for the French Guiana region of Kourou had to be postponed owing to a protest in the French colony at the time.
They later tried to have the event early in 2009 but that would have come close to the beginning of this year’s games and so the second leg of the 2008 games was cancelled.
