The recently-concluded University of Guyana (UG) Inter-Faculty Track and Field Championships was no A-class track meet but the interest it generated to motivate current athletes and reinvigorate retired athletes will definitely impact athletics in Guyana.
For the first time in several years, UG’s track and field championships was sanctioned by the governing body for track and field, the Athletics Association of Guyana (AAG). Even though the track at the UG ground could have been better prepared, and races were not run on time or according to the programme in some instances, the meet standards did significantly improve from the previous year.
Administrative and officiating blunders aside, participation in the UG track and field championships rose considerably in this year’s edition according to UG sports coordinator Lavern Fraser-Thomas. Fraser-Thomas said that one clear indication of the increase of participation was the fact that the School of Education and Humanities had only athlete in competition for the past two years, but this year they placed third with 215 points.
The event this year even had to be extended to a two-day event since they were so many entries that organisers were forced to stage heats for most events. The increase in participation also led to an increase in the competition level according to Fraser-Thomas.
“It was so competitive this year that you could not look at a race from the beginning and say well this person will definitely win,” Fraser Thomas added.
Fourteen athletes represented UG at the 2012 Barbados relay fair and according to Fraser-Thomas, the institution will be participating at the event once again. UG copped silver in the male distance medley and bronze in the female 4x400m relay as well as gold in the female discus. This not only motivated athletes to train to improve on their performances but encouraged other athletes to try to make the team according to Fraser-Thomas.
Additionally, the university is hoping to also send a team of athletes to the World Summer University Games which will be held in Russia next year. To ensure that UG has the best possible team of athletes who are in their best shape to compete at those competitions, the institution has recruited the services of local track and field coach Anson Ambrose. Ambrose is expected to be the coach as UG hopes to have an active track and field programme and a club that trains on the campus.
Ambrose, the former coach of Royal Youth Movement Track and Field club in the National Park, said that he was impressed but not surprised by the performances of the UG athletes.
Ambrose said that many of the UG athletes were former athletes at the school and club level but had not been active for a while. Ambrose added that he was excited by the prospect having some of those athletes who were top juniors seek to revive their careers as senior athletes.
One such athlete who Ambrose singled out was former national athlete Kevon Grimmond who placed third in the 400m at UG sports. As a President’s College student, Grimmond competed at the Guyana Teachers’ Union (GTU) School Nationals religiously and even made it to the Barbados relay fair with his schoolmates, including Kenisha Lashley from Berbice Campus who won the 1500m.
Apart from those two, current UG athletes who have returned to the track include Goddis Accra, Ian Campbell, Kim Chan, Kiswanna Jefford and Treiston Joseph.
Accra and Joseph and both held national junior sprint titles and incidentally, competed at the 2006 Junior CARIFTA Games in Guadeloupe.
Fraser-Thomas said that it is the institution’s intention that all the outstanding athletes that have been identified from the championships will join the UG track club and train with Ambrose. The institution also hopes to apply to the AAG for affiliate membership as a club.
Having UG as an affiliated club to the AAG, means more than just having UG athletes compete in AAG sanctioned meets. It will mean that scholar athletes will no longer have to give up athletics after deciding to further their education at the tertiary level.
In the past, athletics was dormant at the senior level in Guyana. After reaching the age of a senior competitor, many athletes retired since UG had no track programme or they became employed and had no time to train. In recent years, athletics at the senior level was revived by the Inter Service Athletics Championships. However, this forced many junior athletes to enlist in the discipline forces if they wanted to continue their athletic careers.
National junior athletes such as Kevin Bailey, Tyshon Bentick, Letitia Myles, Dennis Horatio, Cindy Fraser and Tiffany Smith all found themselves running for either the Guyana Police Force of the Guyana Defence Force to continue the sport they love.
In the past athletes who finished their five years of secondary education, would register at technical/vocational institutions solely for the purpose of competing at the GTU National Championships. Athletes would go as far as registering in an institution but never attending classes just to compete at Nationals.
With an active athletics programme, it may even open the possibility for UG athletes to compete at GTU Nationals. The University has also introduced co-curricular transcripts and there is some talk about a few sports scholarships for athletes. The UG track and field programme will create another avenue for athletes hoping to further their track and field endeavours while furthering their education.
This will widen the pool of local athletes and could possibly raise the standard of athletics, catalyse its development and hopefully help to banish stereotypes attached to the sport.
