Twenty nine swimmers for Goodwill Swim Meet in Suriname this weekend

A team of 29 swimmers, 17 boys and 12 girls, along with six officials are expected to travel to neighbouring Suriname tomorrow to represent Guyana in the 20th Goodwill Swim Meet which is set to be held from August 15 – 17.Selected by the Guyana Amateur Swimming Association (GASA), and under training since earlier this year, the team includes gold medalist at the recently concluded Inter-Guiana Games (IGG), Soroya Simmons, as well as Guyana’s sole swimmer at the just concluded Commonwealth Games, Onika George. George and Simmons will both swim in the girls’ 15-17 category.

The team also includes Dylan Nurse, Omar Adams, Hannibal Gaskin, Jamila Sanmoogan, and Accalia Khan, all of whom also medalled in individual events at the IGG which concluded two Sundays ago here in Guyana. Each swimmer on the team will be participating in at least three events.

The team has been training under the watchful eyes of Cuban coach Isabel Couso Fals, and assistant coaches Paul Mahaica, and Jamie Skeete, all of whom will be travelling alongside the team. Fals will also act in the capacity of female chaperone for the team along with Shaka Noel. The other officials travelling with the team are team manager Leon Seaton, and assistant Shefetah Tzedeq

This year’s contingent exceeds the 20 member team that Guyana sent last year when the competition was held in Barbados. As well, the 29 swimmers has outdone the 17 swimmers that took part last year, and comes closer to the maximum forty athletes that each participating nation is allowed to field at the regional event.

The Guyanese usually compete against swimmers from Barbados, Trinidad, and Suriname at the annual event, additionally the host nation is also allowed to extend invitations to another nation to compete at the event. This year the Suriname Swimming Federation extended a guest team invitation to the swimming federation of St. Lucia.

Competing last year, Guyana finished fifth with 142 points, while at final medal count Guyana walked away with two silver and six bronze medals.

The competition was won by Suriname, a well-known powerhouse in swimming in the junior arena within the Caribbean region. Suriname championed last year’s Goodwill Swim Meet after assembling 1514 points, with a whopping 133 medals including 57 gold medals.

Much improved performance is expected from the team, given Guyana’s recent improvement in swimming at the tri-nation IGG where Guyana came up against a team from Suriname.

The full team is as follows:

GIRLS 8 and under- Aleka Persaud, Antonia Dey,Patrice Mahaica

BOYS 8 and under- Raekwon Noel,
Lajaun Munroe, Paul Mahaica

GIRLS 9 – 10- Danielle George,Jadyn George,Lian Winter

BOYS 9-10- Leon Seaton, Sekhel Tzedeq

GIRLS 11-12
Kenita Mahaica

BOYS 11-12- Nkosi Beaton
Nathon Hackett, Alex Winter, Antonio Hussein

GIRLS 13-14- Accalia Khan, Nikita Fiedtkou

BOYS 13-14
Joseph De Nobrega, Dylan Nurse,
Daniel Scott, Samuel Clarke

GIRLS 15-17-Onika George,
Soraya Simmons, Jamila Sanmoogan

BOYS 15-17- Omar Adams,
Selwyn Miller, Jamaal Skeete, Derrick Ramsaroop

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