The Athletic Assoc-iation of Guyana (AAG) has named a solid, star studded 30-member track and field team to represent the nation at this weekend’s Inter Guiana Games (IGG) scheduled to run off at the GDF ground but concerns were raised yesterday that persons who did not participate in the trials were among those selected.
The two-day track and field segment in the first leg of the XX annual Games, will see U-20 star athletes like three-time CARIFTA Games gold medalist, Cassey George, CARIFTA and CAC Game bronze medalist, Jason Yaw and CAC bronze medalist, Jevina Sampson competing for more hardware.
Add in double gold medalist at last year’s IGG, Kevin Abbensetts along with track aces, Avon Samuels, the Daniels twin (Shomane and Shoquane), Andrea Foster, Grivon Grant, Ornesto Thomas and Tevin Garraway, the local outfit will be the favourites to run away with the Track and Field Championship.
Field event standouts Kade Pearce, Natricia Hooper Khadija Ba, Irie Cadogan, Jabari Joseph, Samuel Gray and Clarence Green will also add valuable points to Guyana’s tally.
Julian Edmonds, Alisha Fortune and Raymond Daw are tasked with official duties of the squad.
One of the country’s top coaches yesterday pointed to the issue of bias with the athletes selected pointing out that athletes from Running Brave Athletics Club were among the majority of the athletes selected.
AAG president Aubrey Hutson is the president of Running Braves Athltics Club while the two coaches Julian Edmonds and Alisha Fortune are both affiliated to the Running Braves club said the coach.
He also questioned the fact that some of the athletes who did not participate in the IGG Trails were actually selected.
“It seems as if they wanted to find places for all the running Brave athletes,” he said adding …why keep a trials and then selecte persons who did not participate in the trials they are only demoralizing the athletes,” he added.
According to the coach, usually the athlete who wins an event at the trials is the first athlete selected and then they look at the second and third and fourth persons especially for relay purposes.
One of the athletes who could consider himself unlucky in not being selected is former Bishops’ High School sprint sensation Arinze Chance.
Chance participated in the IGG Trials and placed second in the U20400m event which was won by Quincy Simpson. Chance failed to find favour with the selectors who chose Jason Yaw to run the 400m even though Yaw did not participate in the trials.
Yaw also resprsented Guyana at the CAC Juniors when again the AAG failed to hold trials, the coach said.
Jevina Sampson and Cassey George were also selected to represent Guyana at the CAC Juniors while Tevin Garraway who at this year’s Hampton Games ran the fastest 100m time for the year by any Guyanese athlete failed to get the nod.
The annual tri-nation Games which includes Suriname and French Guiana will start today with the opening ceremony at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall (CASH). Competition starts tomorrow with swimming at the National Aquatic Centre. Basketball will also be contested over the weekend at the CASH.
The second and third legs of the Games are slated for the Dutch and French territories in October then either November or December.
