By Tamica Garnett
Caribbean long distance athlete Alika Morgan said she felt embarrassed Sunday night when abusive remarks were hurled at her from other athletes belonging to an opposing club after she had been named lone ‘Champion Girl’ of the President’s/Jefford Track and Field Classic that took place at the McKenzie Sports Club Ground.

On Sunday night, Morgan was announced ‘Champion Girl’ at the end of the inter-club meet and she subsequently  went to the trophy table to receive her prize and trophy.

It had been determined that she had won the title by  virtue of accumulating 30 points from three first place positions in the 800m, 1500m, and 3000m events.

However, the proceedings were halted after it was realized that another athlete, Natasha Alder, from the Police Sports Club had also accrued 30 points from three first place positions in the shot put, javelin throw, and the long jump, and officials from the PSC had made this known to the technical officials.

While the matter was being deliberated upon, Morgan said that abusive remarks were continually launched at her as she stood at the trophy table forcing her to vacate the area.

On confirming that Alder had accumulated 30 points, the technical officials subsequently apologized and explained that the oversight was due to the mix-up of names between Natasha Albert and Alder, the eventual co-winner of the ‘Champion Girl’ title.

After confirming Alder as one of the winners of the ‘Champion Girl’ title, Morgan was requested to return to the trophy table but she declined since what she described  as disrespectful chanting was still being directed at her.

Morgan said also that there was a call for her to return a bag which held the ‘Champion Girl’ prize, which she said she had never removed from the table. This she said prompted more offensive comments, chanting and “booing” from the PSC athletes, and so she did not return to the table.

Morgan made it clear that she never protested Alder’s claim to the ‘Champion Girl’ title nor did she ever argue against sharing the title with Alder. But, Morgan stressed, the real issue was the way in which she had been treated.

“I felt very embarrassed standing there all the time. I don’t think I did anything to garner that treatment. I never said that we shouldn’t share the trophy and the prize, it was the way how they behaved that I was reacting to,” Morgan clarified.

Morgan’s coach Leslie Blacks subsequently stated that he and his athlete felt very insulted by the behaviour of the PSC athletes. Blacks, referring to Morgan’s  achievements for Guyana over the past years, said that he did not feel this was how a national athlete should have been treated. He also noted that in his opinion behaviour of that sort should never have come from the athletes.

“I feel that this behaviour should have never taken place with these athletes,” Blacks declared.

Meanwhile sponsors of the prize, Digicel, has since announced that they would be awarding both athletes with a ‘Champion Girl’ trophy and prize, and the company has requested an amicable resolution of the conflict.

Coach of the PSC team, Lyndon Wilson, said that what the athletes had started out to do was to chant for their athlete Alder to be recognized as having a share in the title since the announcer continued to declare that Morgan was the winner.

Wilson related that it was the mistake of the announcer who continued to announce that Morgan was the winner of the title although he was fervently trying to indicate to her that Alder had also won three events. Wilson said in that situation the athletes began chanting in their efforts to  support their athlete.

“What they were doing was chanting for their member to get recognized. It was the announcer after we were trying to indicate that Alder had also had three first place she continued to say Alika Morgan is the winner so the athletes were shouting,” Wilson stated.

He said, however, that the real injustice came about when the announcer called on Morgan to return the bag, which he knew  she had never removed from the table, and he has since reproached his athletes for their behaviour.