QUEEN’S College and Tutorial High School, the two institutions who will be heading to the famed Barbados Relay Fair, yesterday got a corporate boost from COURTS Guyana Inc.

The two schools each received $100 000 which will enhance their chances as they compete with some of the Region’s best schools and clubs in the Land of the Flying Fish on Saturday, February 14.
Queen’s College, one of the foundation schools, a regular at the Championships since the inaugural event in 2003, will send a team of 18 athletes, while Tutorial will be represented by 16 athletes, to compete primarily in the Under-13 and Under-15 categories.

“COURTS Guyana Inc., the furniture and appliance giant is also known for its giant contributions in the area of sport in Guyana. The company has been a strong advocate for healthy and active lifestyles and encourages youths in sport through our many activities and sponsorships,” said the company’s Marketing Officer Roberta Ferguson.
She added, “This time COURTS is very happy to be on board with two of the most outstanding schools in terms of athletics in Guyana – Queen’s College and Tutorial High School. These schools over the last number of years have shown their ability to compete on a regional scale at the Barbados Relay Fair and to bring home several medals.”
The company hopes that some of these same athletes can eventually grow from the regional stage and someday represent the country at the World Games and even the Olympics.
Representatives of the schools thanked COURTS for what they described as a timely contribution which helps with regard to fostering growth in athletics and also helping the students to strike a balance between academia and sports.
The Barbados Relay Fair first took place at the National Stadium in Barbados on Saturday, February 15, 2003. It took the form on an Inter-School competition, with one local Combined-schools team competing in the Under-20 category.
At that inaugural event, ten local schools and school teams from St Vincent, St Lucia and Guyana participated.
The Relays were contested in three age categories (male and female), Under-15, Under-17, and Under-20. In each category there were 4×100, 4×200, 4×400 and a sprint medley. The Swedish Medley and the Distance Medley were offered as open events, while a hurdle shuttle relay was done as an exhibition event.
By 2006 the number of participants was well over 600. Approximately 150 of these were from overseas, with teams averaging 15–20 persons plus supporters.