OVER 100 athletes from across Guyana are expected to converge on the Guyana Defence Force ground, Camp Ayanganna, today, to participate in the CARFITA Games trials, and vie for a chance to represent Guyana at this year’s CARIFTA Games in St Kitts and Nevis, set for April 4 to 6. Participants from as far as Berbice, Region Nine and Essequibo were expected to have travelled to Georgetown to participate in the two-day meet, which ends tomorrow. Competition starts at 10:00hrs today and tomorrow.

President of the Athletics Association of Guyana (AAG) Aubrey Hutson yesterday noted that, weather permitting, the day should go smoothly as the athletes try their best to achieve the qualifying standards.
According to Hutson this year’s qualifying standards for the meet are very “lenient”, taking into consideration several factors, including the conditions of the track where the competition is being held.
“So far everything was in place on my last check with Camp Ayanganna. They have said once the surrounding canals are kept low the ground should be okay, and we have set our qualifying standards based on the conditions we are expecting with the track.” Hutson said
Guyana has seen intermittent rainfall over the past few days, which coaches expect will have a detrimental effect on their athletes’ performance, as the event is being run on a grass track. Some believe the athletes would have been better served if the event was held at the still-to-be-opened Leonora synthetic track facility on the West Coast of Demerara.
“I think the greatest challenge will be the weather because if we look at our weather pattern right now we’re getting a lot of rain, and to qualify, to make the timings, the start is important, and the weather will affect that especially in the 100m, 200m and 400m. We’ve seen athletes lose their race because they slipped, because of the weather,” Police Progressive Youth Athletics club coach Mark Scott pointed out.
“My feeling is that a trial like this should have been held on the synthetic track, to give the athletes a better chance. To me the track is there, and the AAG should have tried to see if they could have procured its use.”
However, Hutson noted that no request was made to obtain the facility’s use as the facility does not officially open until March 27.
Meanwhile coach Lyndon Wilson, also from Police, said his athletes are put at a further disadvantage by the club’s late receipt of the CARIFTA qualifying standards from the AAG.
“It is going to affect them a lot; even elite athletes have to know the benchmark that they are working towards in advance. This is the second year Police is not receiving the qualifying times, but there are other clubs that are receiving all the times and can call us and say that they get their own, and how we didn’t get our own yet,.” Wilson said.
“Just sudden so, you are going to send timings to us, with a day or two away. First thing the athletes are already at a disadvantage to those who already know. And I think they need to rectify it, because we are not going to a schoolyard sports, we are going to CARIFTA Games, and for the athletes to go out there and perform at their best you need to know standards.”
Nonetheless, Scott said he is confident of his athletes’ chances despite the keen rivalry expected at today’s trials.
“My expectation is great, I am optimistic about what we can do this time around.
My athletes would have been preparing since we had our off-season starting in November. Our preparations are up to scratch and now it’s just left to the athletes.”
“These are athletes that are participating on a regular basis so they know what is expected of them. They know the competition that is out there, they know what they have to go out there and do to merit their selection on the team,” Scott said.
(By Tamica Garnett)