Three-time Olympian, Grace Jackson, visited the Leonora Synthetic Facility on Thursday and voiced recommendations while making positive reviews of the venue. The Jamaican Olympic silver medalist who is currently in Guyana conducting a three-day Sports Management Workshop with four-time Olympic medal winner,
Ato Boldon pointed out that the facility bodes well for the future of track and field in Guyana.
“I think that this is a very positive move on the side of the government to be able to build a facility like this,” said Jackson.
“I have been talking about the shift and the fact that Guyana needs to get with it and I think this is really a clear testament that if you are putting down a facility that means you have a particular intention, so this is great,” Jackson pointed out.
Jackson, who now lectures at the University of the West Indies’ Mona Campus, opined that Guyana has the potential to succeed in the sport since it has the landscape and diversity.
“What Guyana has done is what we have done in Jamaica in covering the whole island where we have two meets per week from January until June.
“You might not have that but what I see here is excellent grass and you can develop that and it doesn’t have to be 400 metres but it can be 300-metre track so you can have the competition and be competitive.”
While at the facility, Jackson also mentioned how Guyana can groom athletes from an early age.
“In Jamaica we start them early so we have basic school champs, prep champs, primary champs and high school champs but there is no pressure.
Guyana does not stand on its own, and one has to think about if you have your school national championships in November for track, then how do you get athletes coming out and competing at the Carifta Games and other summer games?
“You must look at how Guyana delivers track and field in relation to their neighbours,” Jackson noted.
Quizzed on when athletes and coaches can utilize the facility, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Sport, Alfred King said “before the year is completed.”
