– Over $2M in cash and prizes

By Tamica Garnett
OVER $2M in cash prizes will be up for grabs as Guyana’s top athletes clash with athletes from over six countries, including Jamaica and the USA, when the seventh edition of the Boyce and Jefford Track and Field Classic goes down at the MacKenzie Sports Club Ground on August 27 – 28.This was disclosed yesterday when the event was officially launched at the Sports Maxx Store at the Giftland Mall. A lot of hype is expected for the annual event which will take place just after the Olympic Games 2016, and will see the top performing club walk away with a whopping $1M prize.

The prize money will continue all the way to fourth place, with the second place finisher taking home $500, 000. Third place is set to receive $300, 000, while fourth place will walk away with $200, 000.

Chairman of the Boyce and Jefford Committee, Colin Boyce, a former Police athlete, reminded that the event was birthed upon the idea of aiding in the development of athletes, by providing the means for them to earn some much needed financial support for their respective clubs.

“Athletics deserves much more than what we’re receiving now, and we thought it fit that we, as former athletes, recognize the need to put cash prizes into the clubs because of the arduous training that the athletes have to go through, and then at the end of the day, what do we get in return? Nothing much.” Boyce said.
“We would have seen other sporting events receiving healthy cash prizes and so this year we would have seen the need to increase the cash prizes to a healthy $1M for the first prize, so those clubs that are represented here can vie for a healthy package.”
The former Athletics Association of Guyana (AAG) president pointed out that its not just about giving the athletes monetary support,but as the event continues to grow the organizers will be looking at other ways to help the athletes. This led to the inclusion of international athletes to the meet.
“We would have also seen the need to test our athletes, those who are based locally and those who are based abroad, by bringing a few foreign athletes to match strides with our local counterparts.”
And in continuing in that stride of making it bigger and better with each coming year, this year’s edition will see the increase of the “international events” at the meet from six last year to eight this year, with the addition of the men’s and women’s javelin throw.
The other international events carded for the Championships are the women’s 200m, 1500m, and triple jump, along with the men’s 200m, 800m, and long jump. Each international event carries a purse of US$500, divided among the top three athletes in the events, with US$250 for first place, US$150 for second, and US$100 for third.

Though some of the final arrangements are still being ironed out, organizer of the event, Boyce, confirmed that thus far athletes from Jamaica, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Grenada, Trinidad, Antigua, and the USA, are set to match strides with the Guyanese in the international events.

Co-chairman of the Boyce/Jefford Comittee, Edison Jefford, remarked that the event would be nowhere without the kind sponsors,who for the second consecutive year,included government support through the National Sports Commission. On hand to speak on this contribution was Director of Sport, Christopher Jones, who commended the organisers for their years of service to the event,while reafirming government’s continued support.

Other sponsors for the event include returning sponsor, Digicel, K&B Mining, Sports Maxx, E-Networks, Ansa McAl, under their Smalta brand. Fly Jamaica and Caribbean Airlines are the official airline carriers for the event.
Registration for the meet is expected to close off next Friday. Meanwhile, not forgetting the fans, over $500, 000 in gates prizes will be up for grabs to patrons of the meet.
In another new turn of events, the Classic is also expected to be streamed live on E-Networks, so those at home can also tune in to catch the event live.