Hector Edwards, Secretary General of the Guyana Olympic Association (GOA) said last night that he expected the Guyana team to this year’s South American Youth Games in Chile to do well.
The games will run from September 27 – October 8 and the Guyana contingent is expected to leave Tuesday.
Speaking to Stabroek Sports, the former national cyclist, now University of Guyana lecturer, said that he has high hopes from the disciplines of boxing and athletics.
In addition to the above two disciplines, Guyana will also compete in badminton, basketball (3x) and table tennis.
“I think athletics and boxing might be the hallmark sports,” Edwards declared.
“Boxing stands a good chance while our young athletes have been doing pretty well at the Carifta Games and World Youth Championships,” he said adding.… our table tennis players might stand a chance as well.
This is the second time that Guyana will be represented at the South American Youth Games. They also participated at the inaugural event in Lima, Peru in 2013 where they won one gold, one silver and seven bronze medals from a 30-member delegation.
Another athlete whom Edwards said he expects to do well is boxer Keevin Allicock.
Meanwhile president of the Guyana Badminton Association, Gokarn Ramdhani, in an invited comment said of his two-member team….“we stand a good chance.”
Ramdhani was referring to the prospects of the two players in Priyanna Ramdhani and Tyrese Jeffrey.
Badminton, Ramdhani recalled, won two medals at the 2013 games with Ambika Ramraj winning a bronze medal in the mixed doubles while top player Narayan Ramdhani, who is world-ranked player, won a bronze in the individual singles.
According to Ramdhani, the players to watch will be players from Peru and Brazil.
“We are hoping to medal,” he said adding that he does not know whether the draws will be done using the seeding or the world ranking system. Should the world ranking system be used, Priyanna Ramdhani stands to benefit since she is ranked 215 in the world, said the GBA president. GOA vice-president Godfrey Munroe is the Chef-de-Mission while Director of Sport, Christopher Jones, is expected to attend the games in place of GOA president K.A Juman Yassin. The other officials are Wanda Richmond, athletics, Junior Hercules, basketball, Terrence Poole – boxing and Idi Lewis – table tennis.
The team members are: Kenisha Phillips, Analisa Barclay, Deshanna Skeete and Jermaine King – athletics, Keevin Alliock and Christopher Moore- boxing, Shamar France, Akeem Crandon, Isaiah Hintzen and Nigel Bowen- basketball and Miguel Wong and Nicholas Romain – table tennis.
