MOSES Pantlitz, one of Linden’s (and Guyana’s) most dedicated track and field coaches, is seeking the assistance of corporate Guyana to help realise his Linden-based Christianburg/Wismar Secondary School (CWSS) Track Club’s dream of competing at this year’s Barbados Relay Fair, February 10.
Pantlitz is best known for his commitment to the sport and for being the coach of Cassie George, the ‘triple gold medallist’ at the CARIFTA Games, and Compton Caesar who won Guyana’s first CARIFTA gold in the 100m last year.
The well-known athletics coach, speaking to Chronicle Sport yesterday, highlighted that his hope is to have 14 athletes (eight females and six males) compete in the U-17 category and three officials.
“We’re at about 70% with funding on our airfare which I’m hoping to wrap-up by Wednesday (tomorrow), but we’re still waiting on parents to show up,” said the always optimistic Pantlitz who is asking for support to make the trip possible.
To the club’s end, a food fair as well as a take-away lunch is planned for this weekend. Pantlitz pointed out that his club will be making a return to the popular regional event for the first time since 2012.
“I’ve been taking teams to the Relay Fair since 2005 (St John’s College), but after 2012, when I had the likes of Onassha Rogers and Cassie George, who were just 12 and 11 years old respectively, we didn’t go to Barbados,” Pantlitz noted.
South American Youth Games 400m gold medallist Deshanna Skeete, Shaka Tyrell and Murphy Nash are among some of the names Pantlitz will be hoping to take to the ‘Land of the Flying Fish’ next month, but the coach emphasised that funding is important.
“We have a few contribution forms where we are asking persons around Linden to support and some people outside of Linden as well. We’re talking airfare mostly, accommodation and so on as well,” Pantlitz said.
It is Pantlitz’ hope to arrive in Barbados three days before the event, (February 7) and return on February 12.
According to the athletics coach, the Barbados Relay Fair is a schools championship, and as such, it’s important to be able to measure your talent against some of the best from across the region and even teams from North America.
“We need to do much more relays and I think at these international meets we attend as a country, we put aside the relays. We might not medal individually, but in the relays we could be a force, so I think we really need to put a lot of emphasis on relays. I’ve seen the results at competing at this Relay Fair before, so it’s important for us to attend,” Pantlitz stated.
The athletics coach could be reached on 679-4536 for anyone desirous of contributing to their cause.
The Barbados Relay Fair is a highly competitive meet for all regional athletes strategically timed to serve as an instrumental competition in the peak preparation of athletes targeting their local inter-school championships, the CARIFTA Games, World Junior Games and beyond.
The event provides for all divisions from the primary school-age child competing in U-13, through secondary/high school categories – U-13 U-15, U-17, U-20 to tertiary institutions/clubs as well as the Masters.
Relay distances cater to the athletes of all distances. These include the distance medley, Swedish medley 4×200, 4×800 relays in addition to the popular 4x100m and showcase 4x400m.
