WITH the aim of bettering their previous showing at the Commonwealth Games, Guyana’s contingent departed yesterday, bound for Glasgow, Scotland, to compete at the event which occurs every four years. 

Guyana will compete in the disciplines of squash, table tennis, athletics, swimming, boxing, cycling, and rifle shooing.
Virtually the best athletes from every single sport were selected on the team the Guyana Olympic Association (GOA) is banking on to return home with more than just memories of the games.
The games will begin on July 23 in the Scottish city and Guyana, who first participated at the Commonwealth Games, then known as the British Empire Games in 1930, in the city of Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, will be looking to add to their current medal haul which stands at 15.
Guyana have won three gold, five silver and seven bronze medals.
The three gold medals came through Aliann Pompey (400m Manchester England 2002), Winfield Braithwaite (boxing, Edmonton Canada 1978) and Philip Edwards (800 yards run) in 1934 when the games were held under the British Empire.
At the 2010 Commonwealth Games in India, Pompey once again was the only athlete to walk away from the event with a podium finish when she placed second in the Women’s 400M.
World number 19-ranked Nicolette Fernandes, will lead Guyana’s Squash team, which also features Alexander Arjoon and Sunil Seth and will have Carl Ince as their manager/coach.
The table tennis team is made up of Christopher Franklyn, Paul David, Shemar Britton, Idi Lewis, Trenance Lowe, Jody-Ann Blake and Nathalie Cummings with Godfrey Munroe as manager/coach.
Guyana will be without swimmer Niall Roberts who was forced to withdraw due to injury. The other swimmer is the inexperienced Onika George with Sean Baksh as manager/coach.
Winston George, who represented Guyana at the 2012 London Olympics, is considered as one of the athletes who have what it takes to medal at the games and along with Adam Harris and Stephen James will make up the Guyana track team.
In the discipline of rifle shooting, Guyana will be depending on the bull’s eye aim of the experienced Mahendra Persaud, Lennox Braithwaite and Ransford Goodluck.
Cyclists Marlon ‘Fishy’ Williams, Alanzo Greaves, Geron Williams, Scott Savory and Raynauth Jeffrey are expected to pick up the first medals at the Games, and always with their manager/coach Dwayne Gibbs, all eyes will be on the contingent.
One female cyclist, Clair Fraser-Green who is based in London will also be a part of the cycling contingent and she will be coached by her husband Shaun Green.
Female boxing sensation Theresa London along with Eon Bancroft and Dennis Thomas and the exciting Imran Khan, will be looking to punch their names into Guyana’s sports history books when they step into the ring in Scotland. Their manager/coach is Terrence Poole.