GUYANA’S first set of athletes to the Central American and Caribbean Games in Vera Cruz, Mexico departed these shores on Wednesday.

Athletes in the disciplines of hockey, table tennis and swimming left early Wednesday morning. The cyclists were expected to depart on a similar early morning flight today.
Travelling with president of the Guyana Hockey Board, manager Devin Hooper and third official Peter DeGroot, the ladies – vice-captain Ulrica Sutherland, Tiffany Solomon, Ashley DeGroot, Trisha Woodroffe, Kerensa Fernandes, Aliyah Godron, Maria Munroe, Shebiki Baptiste and Princessa Wilkie, will join captain Chantelle Fernandes, Alysa Xavier, Leigh Sandison, Marzena Feidtkou, Samantha Fernandes and Tekeisha DeLeon in Venezuela. They will have two days of practice before getting into action on Saturday at noon, Guyana time.
The ladies are ranked 4th going to the games. Their first match is against the Dominican Republic, a team they are ranked above on paper.
They will also come up against Trinidad, Cuba, Barbados, Bermuda, Jamaica and hosts Mexico.
Fernandes believes the team has what it takes to turn in good performances at the event.
The table tennis players are Chelsea Edghill, Natalie Cummings and Akecia Nedd along with coach Idi Lewis. They are expected to connect with overseas-based Trenace Lowe.
Lewis believes it will be an uphill task for the ladies on the tables. He said the Central American teams are strong units but says the quartet of ladies have been playing together for sometime.
Brittany Van Lange and Hannibal Gaskin are the swimmers under coach Isabel Couso Fals.
In the saddle for Guyana will be Geron Williams and Raynauth Jeffrey. They will take their cues from Dwayne Gibbs.
The Central American and Caribbean Games run from November 14 to 30.
Still to depart are athletes in the disciplines of athletics, squash, judo and taekwondo and badminton.
Guyana’s Chef de Mission Deion Nurse departed earlier this week to receive the athletes as they arrive in Mexico.

(By Leeron Brumell)

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