After an exhilarating final day of competition athletes and fans were disappointed when officials announced that the 2012 Inter Services Annual Athletic Championship had ended in a tie between the Guyana Police Force (GPF) and the Guyana Defence Force (GDF).
At the conclusion of the 41 scheduled events both teams reportedly finished with 601.5 points while the Guyana Fire Service (GFS) secured 107 and the Guyana Prison Service (GPS) 38 points. The GDF had won last year’s competition by one point at the same venue but this year they were in possession of a comfortable lead of 27 points which unexplainably disappeared during the final four events.
Robert Chisholm, coach of the GDF team, and Lyndon Wilson, coach of the GPF, were both disappointed with the outcome of the championships for the same reason. Chisholm said that he was totally dissatisfied with the officiating of the meet alleging that the GDF was robbed of some points. Chisholm recalled that one of the GDF athletes Akeem Stewart was given eighth position in a race that had seven starters.
Wilson, on the other hand, said that although he was displeased with the level of officiating which he felt was not in favour of the GPF, he would rather be the joint winner of the event than the runner up. Wilson added that his team was misguided with the earlier announcement which revealed that Police had no chance of winning. Officials made some adjustments and the totals were suddenly very close prior to the conclusion of the final event.
After entering the final day of competition trailing by 33 points, the GDF took the pole position after the first seven track finals. GDF got vital points after Rupert Perry won the 100m while Quinse Clarke and Jermaine Newton placed third and fourth respectively. Forde’s opening win in the 800m also helped while teammate Tyshon Bentick added six points for third. Janella Jonas won the women’s 800m for GPF but the GDF duo of Carlissa Atkinson (2:30.4s) placed second while Ashanti Scott (2:33.2ss) took third.
Forde produced another emphatic surprise sprint finish to win the men’s 800m and clinch his second straight overall champion athlete prize. Forde came within a second of shattering his third record on the competition by clocking 1:55.8s. Forde surged into the lead by moving earlier than expected with about 230m since after being in fifth place. Kevin Bailey of the GPF clocked 1:56.1s for second place while GDF’s Bentick finished third in 1:56.7s.
Apart from the victory in the 800m, Forde also won the 5000m and 1500m earlier in the competition. GDF’s versatile athlete Leslain Baird was the runner up male champion athlete after winning the men’s high jump and javelin and placing fourth in the men’s 400m.
Baird cleared 185cm as his final height to win the competition ahead of GPF’s Clarence Greene who was favoured to win the event. Greene was eliminated from the competition at 180cm. GPF’s Tracy Moses comfortably won the women’s high jump competition after clearing 150cm. Natasha Alder of the GPF won the overall champion athlete award once again ahead of teammate Moore.
