Dear Editor,
Please permit me to set the record straight, after reading the report in your edition of July 17, captioned ‘Josiah Tanner laments being bypassed for Caricom 10K –says AAG needs to review selection criteria.’
I am a lover of your newspaper, and it is a pity I have to reply to this article. I would like to remind Ms Tanner that we are in the year 2013 and not 2012 and as the manager/coach for Alika Morgan and to date also a council member of the AAG, I would like the reading public to know that Alika Morgan has been selected to represent Guyana at the Caricom 10K because of her 2013 performances. Winning the Telesur 10K in Paramaribo, Suriname; the Telesur 10K in Nickerie, Suriname; and the first female to finish the YMCA 10K team run, she was also second in the Granny Lucas 15K in Trinidad. The AAG gave permission for her to attend all the events.
Ms Josiah is the 2012 Caricom runner up ‒ is she living in the past? If so she must recall Ms Morgan is the only athlete, female or male to win the Caricom 10K in four consecutive years. As a junior athlete she won 6 medals at the Junior Carifta Games, and at the Caribbean level at the Run Barbados 10K and half marathon. She has more championships than any other Caribbean female, and she also won all her events in the USA in 2012.
Over her years as an athlete Ms Morgan has been blessed with 6 national awards. She was given the prestigious Junior and Senior sports woman award in 2009, and has received more national awards than any other track and field athlete of Guyana. Ms Morgan defeated Ms Tanner at the South American 10K 2007 in Suriname and the 2007 South America 10K in Guyana and the 2012 Alim 10K. Miss Morgan has been privileged to be sponsored by GT&T and has not depended on the AAG. Our readers should note Ms Morgan lives in Guyana and has represented Guyana for her entire athletic career. Ms Tanner, aged 38 years, should see it fit to be an inspiration to a young 22-year-old Alika Morgan and try to work with her towards her goals.
The AAG also has to make it a must for overseas athletes to return to Guyana for trials before representing Guyana, as is done in other countries. Ms Morgan is ready to represent Guyana 100% every day in the year.
Yours faithfully,
Leslie Black
