District 11 reign supreme to retain Champion of Champions overall title
… District 10 cop Athletics
DISTRICT 11, North Georgetown, saw their ‘purple colours’ reign supreme Friday night, as they retained the ‘Champion of Champions’ overall title, taking the honours   from challengers District 10 Upper Demerara.
North Georgetown dipped into their reserves to top all-comers at this year’s 50th annual Guyana Teachers’ Union and Ministry of Education-organised track and field, cycling and swimming championships which concluded under floodlights at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence.
District 10 were actually declared winners in 2009, but a protest by District 11 was belatedly upheld by a recount done this year. A scoring error was reportedly detected which apparently tilted the balance for a District 10 win last year.
It was a remarkable accomplishment by District 11 after District 10 Upper Demerara/Kwakwani seemed in a position to take the honours from the eventual title holders.
In the end however, the defending ‘overall’ Champion of Champions titleholders came out winners, scoring 69½ points when the scores of the track and field in athletics for school athletes, track and field for teachers, swimming and the cycling championships were taken into account.
Overall District 11 finished ahead of District 10 their closest rivals who scored 66 points for the second spot, and they were followed by District 6 Corentyne on 57, District 13 (South Georgetown with 57, District 7 Bartica on 50, District 12 East Georgetown with 49, District 15 New Amsterdam on 40, District 3 West Demerara with 39, District 5 West Coast Berbice on 31, District 9 Rupununi with 30, District 2 Essequibo Coast/Pomeroon on 30, District 1 North West, on 29½, District 14 East Bank Demerara on 20, and District 14 East Bank Demerara mustering eight points.
To fully understand how the results were arrived at it must be noted that District 11 won the teachers’ track and field and the swimming championships, and placed third in the track and field championships for school athletes and fourth in the cycling championships.
A closer look will show that going into the fourth and final day District 11 were in fourth position in the track and field for school athletes with 205 points, behind District 10 who were ahead on 352 ½, District 6 had 213 points for second spot and third came District 9 on 210½ points.
District 11 soon made their move and positioned themselves in the third spot early in the day and maintained that placing behind Districts 10 and 6.
And even though District 11 could only get a fourth position in the cycling category, it did not hurt them as much as what happened to District 10 in the teachers’ section of the championships.
So, as District 10 struggled in the teachers’ category of the track and field aspect of these championships by only placing sixth, District 11 won that category. It affected them in the end even though they gained second spots in the swimming and cycling championships.
This poor showing by the teachers of District 10 therefore caused District 11 to overtake District 10 to win the overall championships.
Taking the third spot overall, therefore, were District 6, who won the cycling championships and secured second spot in the track and field, third in the teachers’ category but stumbled to 14th place in the swimming section.
On the final day Friday, District 10 won the glitzy track and field championships amassing 708 points, followed by District 6 on 520½ points, District 11 on 451½, District 13 on 403½, District 12 on 353, District 9 on 350½, District 3 on 345½, District 4 on 342½, District 5 on 336, District 15 on 297, District 7 on 216, District 2 on 208½, District 13  on 201, District 14 on 129, District 16 on 53½ and District 8 on 39 points.
In the track and field among the teachers, District 11 topped with 184 points from District 7 on 169, District 6 had 155, District 13 on 153, District 12 on 151, District 10 on 147, District 3 on 137, District 15 on 134, District 5 on 104, District 1 on 85, District 2 on 64, District 14 on 53, District 16 on 18, District 8 on six with District 9 recording no points.
In the cycling category District 6 easily won with 244 points ahead of District 10 on 194, followed by District 15 with 144, District 11 got 130, District 4 with 129, District 13 on 90, District 7 with 60, District 5 on 47, District 12 on 45, District 3 on 38, District 2 on 35.
The trophies, replicas and medals won were distributed at the end of the championships.