DIRECTOR of Sport Neil Kumar yesterday confirmed that the first leg of the 2011 Inter-Guiana Games will now be held at the end of June, with an exact date still to be determined. Speaking with Chronicle Sport yesterday, the long-standing Director of Sport, whose office, the National Sports Commission (NSC), is responsible for Guyana’s participation, pointed out that the reason for the delay is that most of the participating athletes are preparing for the upcoming CXC exams. Guyana and French Guiana will join hosts and defending champions Suriname as they compete in the disciplines of football, swimming and athletics, all male and female, in the former Dutch colony.
“We are waiting on a date to know exactly when in June it will be held, but so far it’s the end of June,” said Kumar, while further noting that “it’s not going to and can’t happen before because we want to have a strong team and most of the athletes are preparing for exams, and it’s not right to put them in a position to chose. Education at this point comes first, so that’s the position we are taking at this time.”
According to the Director of Sport they could have worked on a date since last December, but it was Suriname who caused the delay. However, he’s optimistic that after the upcoming meeting everything will be put into perspective and as such, they will move to focusing on the administrative aspect of the games and team selection.
Guyana lost their strong hold on the track and field events last year when the first leg was held in French Guiana, surrendering the title to Suriname.
Suriname and Guyana are bitter rivals at the games, especially in the male athletics and football departments, while the French and the Dutch would tussle back and forth in the pool.
At last year’s Games, Guyana failed to send a female team to the hosting of the first leg in French Guiana citing the high cost for travel overland, but Kumar noted that they will be represented in the discipline this year.
“Of course we will have a female team this year!” he (Kumar) exclaimed, adding “we got a new coach and since then, we have been getting full support from the Federation (Guyana Football Federation).”
Former national player and defensive standout Gordon ‘Ultimate Warrior’ Braithwaite is now employed at the NSC as full-time football coach and his influence, Kumar said, has been tremendous.
“The thing is now we have a full-time coach, and he fully understands what he has to do. So he will be handling things as it relates to football and the team. He will have our support and that of the Federation as well, so this year, we are doing things a little different, but it’s just we’re now waiting on a certain date at the end of June,” said Kumar.
The IGG Games is played in two parts and French Guiana will be the hosts of the second leg which is normally run off at the end of the year.