– 30 acres identified at Leonora
By Tamica Garnett
The Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport Dr Frank Anthony says construction work on the long-anticipated synthetic track will get underway before year-end, with over 30 acres of land identified to erect the facility.
Dr Anthony also said that an allocation had already been made in the national budget to start the construction, in his address on Sunday at the Police Sports Club Ground, at the closing ceremony of the South America 10km Road Race. Over the years athletes, coaches and athletics officials alike had express their frustration over the lack of a synthetic track, noting the disadvantage of training on grass tracks and on roadways then competing on synthetic tracks at overseas meets. Moreover, one coach had pointed out that competing in Guyana on the grass tracks had the athletes at a further disadvantage because timings made on grass tracks were not recognized by the world governing body, the International Athletics Association Federation (IAAF). Only timings made on the synthetic track are recognized by the IAAF, as such the coach had explained that should a Guyanese break a world record on the grass track, his timing would be rendered null and void.
To counter this predicament, coaches try to give their athletes as much exposure as possible at overseas meets, so that they can at least become, to some extent, familiar with the feel of the synthetic track. The Athletic Association of Guyana (AAG) had also said that the lack of a synthetic track had impeded their ability to demand that overseas-based Guyanese come home to stand trials in order to fairly earn their way to represent Guyana at major international meets.
Dr Anthony also told the audience that the eventual emergence of the synthetic track is just the beginning of the vast developmental steps that the ministry will be taking to advance athletics in Guyana. “We have to look at getting more officials trained, and we will do our part. The future is bright, and if we are going to move athletics to another level we have to work together, hand in hand, to make this happen,” he said, while directing his comment to the AAG.
Dr Anthony also congratulated the AAG on the efficiency with which the event
was run, stating that it was a real “signature event.” He said one of the things that the ministry will be looking forward to with the emergence of the all-weather track, will be the execution of more such well-organized signature events. Speaking with Stabroek Sports yesterday AAG President Colin Boyce said the group was elated by the minister’s declaration, more so since it had been a long wait to get the facility. “I feel more than elated about the news, he had actually already broken the news to myself and Mr Babolall (Allan) earlier during the day,” Boyce said. Babolall, a Trinidadian, was the technical director at Sunday’s 10km Road Race.
Boyce said that while the works was actually expected to start some time earlier this year, he was made to understand that officials sought to review the area in Uitvlugt first identified to erect the facility, and they have now decided on a location at Leonora, West Coast Demerara. According to Boyce, the size of the new location can accommodate the track and a main pavilion, which could be used to host big local and some international events.
On Babolall’s suggestion, Boyce also told this newspaper that once the synthetic track has been erected, the AAG will look into the possibilities of Guyana being a potential host for the prestigious regionally renowned Junior CARIFTA Games. “Mr. Babolall spoke about Guyana being able to host the Junior CARIFTA Games. I think we have the capacity to hold such events, once the all weather track is realized some time next year we will be able to hold these events. He [the Minister] wants signature events so that the facility would be occupied meaningfully and not become a white elephant,” he said.
According to Boyce, he was anxiously awaiting the laying of the track; adding that he was confident that by next year, Guyana will boast an all-weather track. He said too it “will be a must” that overseas-based Guyanese athletes, hoping to represent Guyana at international events, come home to compete in the AAG’s National Championships.
“Definitely all overseas athletes will have to come home to compete in the Nationals Championships, as long as they want to represent Guyana at events. That will be a must, there will be no more excuses that they can’t come home to train because of the rainy weather and running on grass. I mean they have already indicated that they are ready to come and compete,” he noted.
When Stabroek Sport spoke with some of the athletes and coaches, yesterday, they too were excited that the synthetic track is now nearer a reality than it had been for several years.