… Team returns home with 12 medals
IN congratulating the contingent of sportspersons who participated in  ALBA Games in Venezuela recently, Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport Dr Frank Anthony has lauded their medal-winning performances saying, “we did extremely well and we are very pleased with the performance”. At a press briefing yesterday morning at his office Dr Anthony informed that he, along with the Venezuelan Ambassador Mr Dario Morandy, Director of Sport Mr Neil Kumar and his Permanent Secretary Albert King, had charged the team saying that “we want you to go out there, get the best of yourselves, represent your country and bring back medals”.
According to Minister Anthony, “And indeed you did bring back quite a lot of medals. We are very proud of you. All of us at the head table echoed those sentiments and we have discovered during this particular competition that we have many persons with talent. And once you have the right exposure and the right type of competition, you can see that competitiveness emerging.”
Speaking in the presence of Kumar,  King and the Chef de Mission Henry Denbow, Minister Anthony continued “We have seen that with our boxers. We have seen that in athletics and in some of the other fields we have seen that demonstrated because in some cases people were very skeptical, whether our team will even bring back a single medal.”
Speaking boldly about the returns made in terms of medals won the Minister said, “But you have proved the critics wrong, because you went out there and you brought back twelve medals for us.
“And while that is important, and it is good for our morale, it is also something that we must bear in mind that once you work as a team; once we put that goal before us, this is what we want to do, then anything we can achieve.
“And I think those of you who would have hyped up yourselves to that level, you have demonstrated that medals are not beyond you, as an athlete and us as a country.
“There are some associations and some disciplines that did not get any medals; that did not mean that they did any less for us because I think in all of these exposures and all of these competitions, there are lessons to be learned.
“And if the lesson is just about understanding the level of competition that other people bring to the game and if we can go in there and survive, we might not win a medal, but the mere fact that we were there and were able to play at a high standard, I think would give us the kind of benefits that in the future … when we encounter such competition we will give an even better account of ourselves.”
He said that every encounter is a learning experience and every opportunity that the government can provide to the sportsmen and women would help them develop as an athlete adding “So don’t see it as a negative. See it as a learning experience. And I am sure from the discussions we have had with team management indeed the exposure was a great one and some lessons we can learn from it.”
Minister Anthony urged the relevant associations to have a review and pinpoint the various ways to improve so that on the next occasion they will see better performance.
He acknowledged that “the areas where we have strength too we must recognise … so that they can understand where their strengths lie and also that they keep on doing the good things.
“We also need to have smaller review with the different disciplines to bring out the lessons that we have learnt at these games. It was the first time that we had sent an official delegation to the ALBA Games and I think for the first outing we did extremely well and we are very pleased with the performance.”
At this ALBA Games Guyana won twelve medals namely through athletics (two silver) in the track and field  with Winston George in the Men’s 400m and also the 4 x 100m relay; bronze in the 100m through Quincy Clarke, 200m by Winston George, 800m by Wayne Harlequin, 1500m through Cleveland Thomas, and the Men’s 4 x 400m.
Karate also gained two bronze medals through Patrick Charles and Natalie Gibbons along two others in boxing by Mark Pierre and Samuel Primo.
Director of Sport Neil Kumar in his opening remarks while commending the team’s performance said from the time Minister Anthony received the invitation from his counterpart in Venezuela he was very proactive and pulled together a team and “I am very comfortable with the returns of the athletes.”
Chef de Mission Denbow reported that he was extremely gratified by the team’s performance and was thankful to the Minister, his Permanent Secretary Albert King and Mr Kumar for placing the trust in him to manage the team.
He commented, “I cannot say that our experience was perfect. We had many challenges in Venezuela. First of all challenges of the climate. We had challenges of transportation, but overall it was a great experience but we adapted very well to the challenges that we faced.”
Permanent Secretary Albert King said it was the first time Guyana participated in these games but he believed that the event was significant not only for performance and outcome but that Guyana’s participation will continue.
He used the opportunity also to congratulate the entire ALBA Games team saying “we would want to embrace models like that where associations are willing to step up to quality work and ensure that Guyana is represented at such games and the ministry is so inclined to support and be involved.”
“The experiences here will serve you in good stead and the boxers planning for the Olympics will use this to review and refine your craft to prepare properly towards the Olympic Games next year.”