By Tamica Garnett
Some 107 junior swimmers and 22 officials from three nations are expected to arrive in Guyana today eagerly counting down to the commencement of the regional Goodwill Swimming Championships, which begins tomorrow, here in Guyana, at the National Aquatic Centre, Liliendaal
The Guyana Amateur Swimming Assocaition has already selected its team led by Olympian Britany van lange to compete against swimmers from Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados, and Suriname beginning 12:00hrs tomorrow following a brief opening ceremony. The competition will run through the weekend and end Sunday.
This year’s defending champions, Suriname, is expected to be up for steep competition from swimming powerhouse Trinidad, which is the only team whose contingent will contain the maximum 40 swimmers allowed per nation. Suriname has fielded just under the maximum, with 36 swimmers being accompanied by eight officials, while Barbados has 31 swimmers and six officials.
With only 26 swimmers on the entry list, Guyana still has the smallest delegation of the four countries and while much is expected from the individual performances of some of the swimmers, the team’s size compounded by the large number of new swimmers that are on the team, could hamper the team’s chances of winning the overall team title.
Head coach of the Guyana team, Stephanie Fraser, conceded that it will be difficult.
Fraser pointed out that the team’s Achilles’ heel will be the 9 – 10, and the eight years and under categories, where it is expected that Suriname and Trinidad will lead the way.
“Across the age groups the children have been responding well and they’re enjoying it but in the eight and under category I know it will be difficult for that category. A lot of them are new to the competition but I know that they will try their best.
Trinidad and Suriname their 10 and under age category, those children are like bullets in the water. Trinidad has a very vibrant programme in the schools, Suriname is the same thing, we need to catch up, we have a lot of catching up to do. I mean we have the pool [at the NAC] but right now only national swimmers use the pool, but as we start having the clubs using the pool things could develop,” Fraser said.
The team includes a number of swimmers from outside of Georgetown, one of whom has shown much potential, so much so that Fraser expects him to medal.
Selwyn Miller, from Santa Rosa, Region One, will be participating in eight events in the boys’ 13 – 14 category.
“He’s a strong and very determined swimmer, I would expect him to do well and I would expect him to medal,” Fraser said.
Fourteen-year-old Miller is among five athletes from out of Georgetown who will be participating in the Championships. The other four being 15-year old Angel Rodrigues, also from Santa Rosa, and Omali and Kevin Dare and Nikita Fiedtkou from Linden’s Haimara
High expectations are also there for van Lange, who has been labeled the team’s most experienced swimmer, as well as from some of the other seasoned swimmers; a list that includes Soroya Simmons and Athena and Hannibal Gaskin.
In terms of preparation and readiness for the event, Secretary of the Guyana Amateur Swimming Association, and Head of the Organizing Committee, Dee George, said that she would give it a 85%.
“I think we are very prepared, I would say about eight and a half out of 10. I would leave that one and a half for anything that might come up, you never know how these things are. What comes first is to ensure the comfort of the swimmers, and we feel very comfortable that things are going to go smoothly,” George said.
The event is hosted with a staggering $16 million dollar budget but thanks to the benevolence of a number of corporate enterprises the GASA was able to reach its mark.
Sponsors included: Banks DIH, Digicel, Republic Bank, Gomes Construction Company, Herdmanston Lodge, the Guyana Olympic Association (GOA), GBTI, Demerara Distillers Ltd (DDL), Scotia Bank, R. Bassoo and Sons, National Communications Network (NCN), and the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports.
George commended the efforts and support that the Ministry of Sports has been giving towards ensuring the facilities of the NAC are on par for the Championships.
