Dear Editor,
Now that the National Sports Awards have been announc-ed, will the members of the National Sports Commission Awards Panel and sports writers indulge me by answering this question: Are all our athletes given fair consideration before the final votes are cast?
I was involved in the submission from the Guyana Karate Association. Included were two outstanding junior athletes in Samuel Ming and Christy Dey. Their submissions were done in the format required and submitted before the deadline.
Samuel Ming’s achievements were as follows:
National
1ST Kata (15-17yrs) February ISKF-Guyana National Championships
1ST Kumite (15-17yrs) February ISKF-Guyana National Championships
2ND Kumite (15-17yrs) May GKF Junior National Karate Championships
1ST Kata (Adult Open) September GKF Senior National Karate Championships
2ND Team Kata (Adult Open) September GKF Senior National Karate Championships
(Note: According to WKF rules 16 years and above can participate in Kata in the adult division.)
International
1ST Kata (Youth Shiai) June ISKF Master Camp & International Goodwill Tournament- USA.
1ST Kumite (Youth Shiai) June ISKF Master Camp & International Goodwill Tournament- USA.
5TH Kata (Adults) June ISKF Master Camp & International Goodwill Tournament-USA.
1ST Kata (16-17yrs) august 11TH ISKF Pan American Karate Championships.
3RD Kumite (16-17yrs) August 11TH ISKF Pan American Karate Championships.
The 16-17yrs age group is the most competitive International junior age group for boys and girls.
Samuel Ming is the current 15-17yrs Kata Caribbean Gold Medallist having won at the 2009 Caribbean Championships held in St Lucia in August 2009.
Other awards, honours or achievements
Samuel was successful in seven CXC subjects (4 Grade 1s & 3 Grade 2s) at the May-June sitting. (Physics, Chemistry, Biology, English A, English B, History and Information Technology). This adds to his Grade 1 in Mathematics from the previous year for a total of 8 subjects.
Other sports that he participates in include Go-Karting, Cricket, Fishing, Table Tennis, Basketball, Paint Balling and Dominoes. During the August holidays he did a work study at Mings Products and Services when he played in the team in Inter-Company Dominoes Tournaments placing 2nd in one held at Malteenoes Sports Club and 2nd in the other held at the Republic Bank on New Market Street.
Currently he is a 3rd Degree Black Belt and is training at the ISKF-Guyana YMCA Karate Dojo where he regularly assists with the training of lower ranked karatekas.
Ranking By The International Governing Body
Karate currently does not have a ranking system but is working on one.
Sportsmanship (fair play, discipline, compliant with the WADA rules etc
Karatekas are among the most disciplined sports people in the world. Despite the large number of categories, events and competitors there was no bad behaviour, arguing, and objections during 2010 from this competitor. Samuel is disciplined and he compliments and gives salutations to his opponents every time, win or lose. He is compliant with WADA rules.
Ambassadorship
He performed for the GKF Karate Demonstration at the World Challenge Day Celebration in May at the National Stadium.
He also performed for the ISKF-G Karate Demonstration at the Volunteer Day Celebra-tion in November at the YMCA Thomas Lands.
In August he took part in the International Karate March from City Hall to the Promenade Gardens, being one of the selected front marchers.
Samuel is well liked and has made and communicates with friends from many countries. He is well known, is proud of his flag and always wears it over his shoulder on the medal podium.
Christy Dey’s achievements were as follows:
National
1st Kata (12-14yrs) May GKF Junior National Karate Championships
International:
1ST Kata (12-13yrs) August 11TH ISKF Pan American Karate Championships
2nd Kumite (12-13yrs) August 11TH ISKF Pan American Karate Championships
1st Team Kata (12-13yrs) August 11TH ISKF Pan American Karate Championships
Other Awards, Honours Or Achievements-2010
Christy attends Queen’s College and was promoted to Form 2.
At QC Sports day she took part in the 200m Flat Race – 2nd place, the 800m Medley- 2nd place, and also took part in the Discus and Javelin events.
RANKING BY THE INTERNATIONAL GOVERNING BODY-2010
Karate currently does not have a ranking system but is working on one.
Sportsmanship (fair play, discipline, compliant with the WADA rules etc,) -2010
Karatekas are among the most disciplined sports people in the world. Despite the large number of categories, events and competitors there was no bad behaviour, arguing, and objections during 2010 from this competitor. She is compliant with WADA rules.
Ambassadorship-2010
During March she was part of the team from the GKF holding the Queen’s Baton in the Guyana Leg of the Relay.
In May she performed for the GKF Karate Demonstration at the World Challenge Day Celebration at the National Stadium.
In August she took part in the International Karate March from City Hall to the Promenade Gardens, being one of the selected front marchers.
She also performed for the ISKF-G Karate Demonstration at the Volunteer Day Celebra-tion in November at the YMCA Thomas Lands.
Christy is a member of the Queen’s College Dance Troupe, Sings in the Queen’s College Choir, Plays the Guitar, takes part in Environ-mental Clean up Activity for the School, is a member of St Theresa Catholic Church and a member of the Youth Catechism Class.
Newspaper articles leading up to the selection of the awardees failed to highlight these achievements despite the fact that these submissions were emailed to them at submission time.
I follow the achievements of our athletes and do know most of what is happening in sports in Guyana. The achievements recorded in these two submissions are ranking right up there and must surely be among the best. That the panel did not find it fitting to give either of these two athletes even an honourable mention could only be due to tunnel vision and poor judgment on their part. I would like it explained to me if, how and where I am wrong.
Yours faithfully,
Colin Ming
