By Marlon Munroe
Judoka Bruce Fraser has expressed his disappointment at not being able to represent Guyana at the upcoming Central American Caribbean Games in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico.
The Central American and Caribbean Games will be held from July 22-31 but according to Fraser the Judo Association of Guyana was unable to raise funds to send a team to the games.
Secretary of the JAG Stephanie Fraser told Stabroek Sport on Tuesday that the association was unable to raise the money to send the three-man team to the championships.
She also stated that another judoka, Raoul Archer, was not “up to scratch” as it related to the appropriate qualifying standards for the game.
The secretary said Bruce Fraser was the association’s first choice but explained that it is unwise to send one athlete with a manager since it would be difficult for the athlete to have a training partner at the games.
The recently appointed secretary of JAG reported that when those logistical problems started to arise coupled with the high cost of transportation for the team, the association informed the Guyana Olympic Association (GOA) of its decision to pull out from the CAC Games.
President of JAG Vibert Stroom stated that it was regrettable that the association would not be fielding a team.
He, however, stated that there will always be constraints and all these came out during the association’s meetings after it had met with the GOA president last month.
The cost for one athlete is $186,000 and the GOA will be paying half of the expenses for the associations.
Judoka Fraser, who competed in 2007 at the Bolivarian Alternative for the Americas (ALBA) Sports Games, said that while he was training and feeling optimistic about representing Guyana at the games his intuition told him that his dream would have been shattered.
The 25-year-old, who was the national Open champion from 2004-2008, maintained that he was not “mad with anyone” but will be seeking to get better at his craft to seize the next opportunity which presents itself.
Fraser, who also competed at the World Judo Championships in 2007 in Rio De Janiero, Brazil, would have competed in the light heavyweight category (81kg or 180lbs).
He said that he had been eagerly looking forward to competing in Puerto Rico, adding that he can imagine what his teammate is feeling.
