`I’m hoping that Jones will make some connections’ – Yassin
Some 17 athletes will journey halfway around the World to represent the Golden Arrowhead at the upcoming Islamic Solidarity Games it was disclosed yesterday.
The Islamic Solidarity Games, in its fourth edition, will commence in three days from May 12th to 22nd in Baku, Azerbaijan.
The sporting event characterized as a multinational sporting celebration will see Guyana competing against some of the top countries in the World in six sports disciplines namely swimming, athletics, judo, boxing, table tennis and taekwondo for international honors.
Tasked with sending the athletes off, president of Guyana Olympic Association (GOA), Kalam Juman-Yassin delivered the charge at a short press briefing yesterday at Olympic House, High Street.
Yassin informed the media that Director of Sports, Christopher Jones, will also attend the games.
Commenting on the Director of Sports role, Yassin said that he expected Jones to connect with countries to further advance the development of sports in Guyana.
“The Director of Sports, Christopher Jones, will also be attending the games,” Yassin boldly said.
“He was instrumental along with the National Sports Commission with regards to Natrena Hooper and Emanuel Archibald being in Jamaica and we asked him whether he would be interested in going to the games. His answer was in the affirmative and he has gotten the permission from his minister so he should be there with the team in the village.
“I hope with him being there, he would be able to see how a major competition is being run and he may be able to make contacts because you have over 60 countries who will be participating and among those countries, you have some rich countries and so powerhouse… and so I’m hoping that the director might be able to make contacts which we will be able to utilize to help us in Guyana also,” Yassin added with an optimistic look on his face.
Meanwhile, Guyana’s Chef-de-Mission of the games, Ramjeet Ramphal, who is also the coach of the taekwondo team declared that team Guyana will be going for gold upon arrival in Baku.
“I believe we have gold medalists. I was asked to make a comment on our aspirations in Baku and it is also in the Baku newspapers that Guyana has a lot of high hopes. I highlighted the situation with Winston George gaining two silver medals and know he’s going for two golds. We are pre-empting (anticipating) gold, we will get gold,” he declared.
Guyana previously enjoyed success at the games through sprinter Winston George who won silver medals.
The full Guyana contingent reads: Andrew Fowler, Earlando McRae, Coach Stephanie Fraser, (swimming); Natrena Hooper, Alita Moore, Winston George, Emanuel Archibald, Coach Mark Scott (athletics); Joshua Buchanan, Erskine Trotman, Coach Mr. Archer (judo); Joel Williamson, Desmond Amsterdam, Coach Clifton Moore (boxing); Chelsea Edghill, Trenace Lowe, Natalie Cummings, Christopher Franklin, Nigel Bryan, Joel Alleyne, coach ldi Lewis (table tennis) and Adrian Spelling (taekwondo)
