National athletes who have been training at the National Park 400 metres track which has deteriorated over the past couple of years, causing injuries to some of them, would soon have better conditions with the planned upgrade.
There are major plans to upgrade the ground soon, Stabroek Sport found out yesterday morning at a press conference hosted by Director of Sports Neil Kumar and he President of the Athletics Association of Guyana Colin Boyce.
However, the most notable aspect of the plan will be the likelihood that a synthetic surface, similar to the Leonora synthetic track, would be laid where the 400 metres track is now located, Boyce disclosed.
“I recognized that the track there is in a deplorable state and we need to show concern for the athletes there and rectify it so that the athletes can train meaningfully.
“Hopefully in the future like we discussed with Kumar, a track of the similar surface to Leonora can be constructed there so that athletes can train and be ready for meets locally or internationally,” Boyce stated.
Kumar pointed out that the government does not have money to fix the problem right now but he believes that with the help of corporate Guyana the job can be done.
“We need a plan, cost and everything for it and we can share our synergies with corporate Guyana to get it done. We must work together to get it done, we don’t have the money to commit to it right now but once we work together it can be done,” Kumar noted.
The significance of such an upgrade at the National Park becomes clear considering that the track there is constantly in use by the Running Brave Athletic Club and the Royal Youth Movement and occasionally by Guyana Defence Force athletes and the Mercury Fast Lanners.
In the meantime, athletes such as South American junior bronze medalist Stephan James, two-time 1500 metres gold medalist at CARIFTA Jevina Straker, 1500 metres bronze medalist at CARIFTA, Andrea Foster, 800 metres silver medalist at the ALBA Games Wayne Harlequin have all suffered some type of injury from the present deteriorating ground.
