Despite the fact that the process for completion of the Lenora synthetic track is taking longer than expected, the track is expected to be finished this year.
This was disclosed by Director of Sports, Neil Kumar, during a tour of the facility yesterday.
“We are looking to finish the track this year,” Kumar said.
He also indicated that a football field will also be built at the venue.
“There will also be a football field on the inside that we are looking to complete this year as well but the whole stadium should be completed by next year,” he added.
Kumar was accompanied by president of the Athletics Association of Guyana (AAG) Colin Boyce, National Sports Commission’s Administrative Officer, Gervy C Harry, coaches, a few national athletes and the media corps.
According to Kumar, work at the Lenora, West Coast of Demerara site is moving along slowly and cautiously.
The synthetic track will be the first of its kind in Guyana and is expected to include a warm-up track and the football field.
The full facility is expected to be completed next year.
Kumar said that his only fear after the project would have been completed will be over the under utilsation of the track by the AAG.
“We are treating this project delicately and my only fear would be if the AAG does not utilize the track properly.
“I would like for (Colin) Boyce and the AAG to produce a short, medium and long term plan for the track,” Kumar added.
Boyce told Stabroek Sport yesterday that he was pleased with the progress of the track.
“I recall the last time I visited here was sometime in October last year and from our cordial discussion what came out was that there were some hiccups which caused a setback to the progress of the track.
“Now that I’m here again I’m convinced from then to now that the track is indeed going at a pace,” Boyce stated.
Boyce also hinted that future international meets could be held in Guyana within the next two years.
“Once we have the track completed we will have competition and hopefully in the not too distant future, let’s say at the end of 2013 we can start making bids for international competitions from the IAAF rather than to have our athletes going all the time to have a feel of the synthetic track,” Boyce said.
“What I would also like to say is this; while it is nice to have our National Stadium here where we will be holding championships it is absolutely necessary that we have another track maybe somewhere in Georgetown…like the National Park because we will need a track of the similar surface so that the athletes can train meaningfully.
“Because you’ll find that the amount of athletes who will be coming to train on the track might damage this track and if this is going to be our competition track we will need somewhere to have training or exposure to a similar surface,” Boyce advocated.
Kumar and Boyce also committed to the re-introduction of the Independence Day half marathon.
While monetary prizes are not yet attached to the event, the event is set to have an advertising purse which is expected to draw the best of Guyana’s distance talent when the event runs off on May 26 of this year.
