THE Guyana Amateur Swimming Association (GASA) is upping the tempo on preparations ahead of this year’s Goodwill Games set for Trinidad and Tobago. According to president of the body, Ivan Persaud, the swimmers are putting in final training and going the extra mile to ensure that they produce top performances in the Twin-Island Republic.
He added that they have to trim the squad down from the large number of athletes. “We got about sixty kids in the squad and we have to break down to forty, so it’s a lot of last-minute ditch from all the kids to put in enough training to see if they can make it into the team.
“One of the things we failed to do previously as an association is to harness a full team, where we can participate in relays and in relays you stand a very good chance for amassing a higher total of points.”
He noted that heading to Trinidad, the association already has a game plan with how to secure much-needed points in order to come away with a successful result. The relays provide much greater opportunities to score points, with 18 points rather than individual races which only amass 9 points.
For too long, Persaud said, Guyana has been at the bottom half of the pool, adding that the association intends to ensure that this is corrected before they host the event in the next two years. Currently the athletes in training are being put through the same processes as they would be subjected to in competition, to ensure that they are familiar with them.
“What we are trying to do is mimic the same Goodwill Games organising. Friday evening we will work, Saturday and Sunday, so it is the same format that we use at the Goodwill Games to let the kids get a feel of competing Friday evening then going Saturday morning and Sunday morning.”
The Goodwill Games will take place July 14, 15 and 16, 2015.