The country’s Under 18 and under 20 athletes hopeful for places on Guyana’s team to the 43rd CARIFTA Games in the French island of Martinique over the Easter weekend, will start their quest when the two-day national trials commences today at the Police Sports Club ground.
The athletes are scheduled to get in the blocks from 13:00hrs today and 10:00hrs tomorrow.
Up to press time last night, the heat sheet, the document that lists the participants, had not been released to the media by the organisers so it was uncertain specifically which of the top athletes would be participating.
However, the 100m, 200m, 400m and 800m will be the marquee events on the track during the weekend.
Under 18s
Last year’s CARIFTA Games gold and silver medalist, Cassie George (1500m and 800m), bronze medalist, Jason Yaw (200m and 400m) along with Avon Samuels (200m and 400m), Tirana Mitchell (100m and 200m) and Jevina Sampson (200m and 400m) should be some of the under-18 stars that should shine on the track during this weekend.
Under20s
Sprinters, Shannon Griffith, Kevin Abbennsetts and Tevin Garraway along with middle distance runner, Ornesto Thomas will headline the cast of the older age category.
Entrance fee for the weekend is $200 per day.
The CARIFTA Games will be held from April 18 to 21 at the Pierre Aliker Municipal Stadium. Athletes get on your marks!
Notes: There will be two distinct differences to this year’s teams as, following last year’s staging in the Bahamas, it was agreed at the congress that the lower age group would be raised from Under-17 to Under-18, while each team will be allowed a maximum of 80 athletes, up from the 70 that had been the norm for several decades.
This year’s CARIFTA Games has been approved by the IAAF as a qualifying Meet for the Youth Olympic Games to be staged in Nanjing, China in August. (Emmerson Campbell)
