Dear Editor,
I have found that when a Guyanese is asked what did our athletes do at the Olympics, they would laugh and reply “wha you think deh woulda do?” Guyanese it would seem, did not ever expect one of our athletes to get out of the qualifying rounds and would have celebrated their appearance in the semi finals of any event as if they won the finals. Why of all the nation states of CARICOM Guyana consistently does unbelievably poorly at the Olympics? How could small islands like Dominica, St Lucia, and Grenada win medals (some of which were gold), while our athletes returned home empty handed? What is wrong with our athletes? Wherein lies the problem?
I submit that nothing is wrong with our athletes they are as good as athletes anywhere else in the Caribbean. It is our various governments that have let them and the nation down. In fact, while other governments could plead lack of finances, with billions of American dollars in the hands of this PPP/C government (which it spends as if it’s their own) they must take most of the blame of letting our athletes down. So how does the present government let our athletes down? What are we not doing that makes a relatively large and wealthy country like Guyana the worst performer at Olympic games?
Miss Aliann Pompey is the most decorated track and field athlete in the history of Guyana thus far. Miss Pompey in 2002 won gold in the 400 metres at the Commonwealth Games held in Manchester, England, captured the silver medal at the said games held in New Delhi in 2010, bronze at the 2003 Pan American games in Santo Domingo. She also represented Guyana at four Olympic games – 2000, 2004, 2008 and 2012.
In its edition of 21st November 2009 Stabroek News carried an interview with Miss Pompey done by Stabroek Sport. In that interview she was asked “What would you like to see the Guyana government do for track and field in Guyana?” In response she gave a list of areas in which Guyana was negligent. Based upon her resume mentioned above we can agree that she is more than qualified to speak on this subject. Therefore instead of leaning on my own understanding I will speak to some of the neglected areas identified by our foremost sprint queen. Also Miss Pompey in the said interview also spoke to the economic benefits that can be a spin off benefit for Guyana were we to produce world class athletes.
Among the areas mentioned by Miss Pompey were: (1) More qualified coaches, (2) Presence of proper training facilities, (3) The need for rewards that are constant so that you get honest efforts from the athletes. In speaking to the issue of coaches Miss Pompey made it clear that she was not saying there were not any in Guyana, but rather there was need for more.
During the 1970s up to the 1990s, athletes had the privilege of the presence of the late Ed Hartley who had returned from Britain as a qualified coach and who was quite competent at his job. The problem was, he had to service all Guyana, and therefore had to decide on which group to devote most of his time and energy. I got the impression that what he decided on was to concentrate on athletes chosen to represent the nation at international track meetings. Today I am not sure that there is a national coach, if there is what is the extent of his/her exposure and training. Having international coaches come to Guyana and run two-week seminars is inadequate, cannot do for preparing athletes to be world beaters.
We need to send coaches identified as having the potential to be national coaches on training in the USA or Jamaica for at least a year. At the same time athletes identified as having the potential of representing us at the Los Angeles Olympics 2028 should be immediately sent to one of the two countries mentioned by the middle of 2025 for training.
Perhaps, the most obvious and devastating blow delivered on our athletes was the locating of our only semi Olympic track at Leonora. A village located on the West Coast of Demerara, where the farmers there at the time of its construction, opposed its presence arguing that it was taking away grazing land. This is village and a region not known for producing any outstanding track and field athletes. A region in which most residents’ main interest, sports wise is cricket. It would have made sense building that all-weather track in Region 4 where most of our elite athletes reside and would not be challenged by added transportation cost and the difficulties associated with getting transportation after school and work with getting to Leonora for daily training.
A poor country cannot afford to place its only international track away from where our top athletes reside. Rather such a track has to be built where it is convenient, and offers easy access to our premier athletes, in our case that would be region four, even if Georgetown was considered the second best choice by the ‘expert.’
Now to Miss Pompey’s suggestion that there is need for rewards “to be constant so that you get honest efforts from the athletes.” Track and field in Guyana is a poor people children sports and as she noted “track and field is time consuming.” I don’t think any athlete expects the present Government to take this advice of Miss Pompey seriously. In our history thus far we have only a bronze Olympic medal courtesy of the boxer Michael Parris. How is Mike living? What have we done/doing to keep his name alive? Do our children know of Mike? So why should any other athlete expect to be treated any different?
Finally Aliann referred to the economic gains that come to a country when it produces outstanding athletes. At this year’s Paris Olympic little St Lucia got its first Olympic medal, it was a gold. Today on arrival at Hewanorra International Airport you are greeted by a poster of Julien Alfred. The island’s Tourism Authority has a new addition to its marketing campaign, it invites tourists to “explore St Lucia like an Olympian.” St Lucia says it will be adding 40,000 more air seats to the island. A number of new hotels are expected to be built by the end of 2025. A wellness resort called “Body Holiday” has launched a special “Balance and performance” package with the hope of capitalizing on Alfred’s fame and achievement.
In Dominica Thea Lafond gave that tiny island its first Olympic medal – a gold. The island was represented by a five-man team in Paris. While all the other members of the team went medal less they all will receive monetary gifts. Miss Lafond will receive a cash gift of nearly half a million dollars. Lafond will also be given land, receive the highest national award, appointed the island’s International Sports Ambassador, and herself and husband will be provided with diplomatic passports.
The Paris Olympic games concluded with its closing ceremony on 11th August 2024. In the Stabroek News of 13th August 2024 we learnt that the Trinidad and Tobago Olympic Committee president, in response to that country’s athletes’ poor showing in Paris stated that changes need to be made. She declared “athletes with Olympic aspirations need to be supported on that journey by the powers that be.” She also declared “we will have conversations in terms of making some changes because there are things that have to change in order for Trinidad and Tobago to move forward where sports is concerned.” Trinidad and Tobago therefore is already planning for the 2028 Olympics.
As I sit to write this piece, it is the morning of 31st August, to date I have not heard a similar intent from the government and or the National Athletic Association to meet and plan with the intention of bringing about more worthy performances from our athletes at the 2028 Olympics. Both government and the National Athletes Association don’t seem to care. They both seem to be content with being represented at these games and informing the nation about how regally attired our team was at opening ceremonies of international sporting events such as the Olympic Games.
Yours faithfully,
Claudius Prince
