The Suriname and French Guiana delegations will arrive today for the second leg of the Inter Guiana Games (IGG).
The games will run from Friday to Sunday.
The Suriname and French Guiana contingents are scheduled to arrive this morning at Moleson Creek, Corentyne, Berbice and travel to Georgetown.
The IGG will see Guyana and its eastern neighbours, Suriname and French Guiana, facing off in male and female categories of basketball, volleyball, cycling and chess.
Cycling will take place along the roadways in and around Georgetown while the other disciplines will take place at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall.
Speaking to Stabroek Sport yesterday ahead of the IGG, Director of Sport, Neil Kumar, said that the stage was set for this weekend’s IGG showdown.
The National Sports Commission, through the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport, recently carried out extensive work at the competition venue, the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall, which included resurfacing and repainting of the floor and repainting of the stands, among other works.
According to Kumar, who is also the Chairman of the IGG local organizing committee, “they [The Committee] are currently tying up ends and putting the final things in order,” such as working out the logistics pertaining to the Suriname and French Guiana teams’ transportation and security.
In addition to Kumar, the committee includes secretary of the Guyana Amateur Swimming Association, Dr Karen Pilgrim, who is also local General Manager of the IGG Games, Guyana Cycling Federation President Hector Edwards, Team Manager of the IGG basketball team Chris Bowman, Vice-President of the Guyana Amateur Basketball Association Floyd Levi and Vice-President of the Guyana Volleyball Federation Vaughn Burnette.
Kumar lauded those responsible for getting Guyana’s participating teams prepared for the IGG.
“The teams are prepared as of this point” said Kumar.
Dr Pilgrim yesterday expressed optimism in the performance expected from Guyana’s teams.
“I’m always optimistic that Guyana can win anything,” she stated, while adding that based on what she has observed and the reports she has been receiving, she believes that Guyana has a good chance at topping their neighbours in the various sporting disciplines to be contested.
In relation to Guyana’s junior national male and female basketball teams that will face both French Guiana and Suriname in the basketball events of the IGG, Dr Pilgrim stated that she expects the male team to dominate, while she expects a better performance from the females than was delivered last year.
She said she also expects better performances from the national volleyball, cycling and chess teams since they will have home-court advantage.
“Expect good things from our athletes… all of our athletes will be in front of home crowd so they will do their best,” she said.
The General Manager also urged the Guyanese public to come out and support the local athletes.
“I would like to see support from the Guyanese public… people should be on the road and in the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall cheering for them,” she stated.
Following today’s arrival of the teams, the IGG will commence tomorrow with the opening ceremony at 14:00hrs at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall, followed by a female basketball game between Suriname and French Guiana.
Suriname and Guyana will clash in female volleyball at 17:00hrs, while chess will begin shortly after between French Guiana and Suriname.
Male volleyball will follow at 19:00hrs when French Guiana will go up against Suriname and Guyana in back-to-back games at 19:00hrs and 21:00hrs respectively.
The IGG will continue on Saturday and conclude on Sunday.