—hoping to secure another overseas scholarship

By Michael DaSilva
Cleveland `The Little Kenyan’ Forde is eying the 2020 Tokyo Marathon but is hoping that he can secure a training scholarship leading up to the prestigious event.

In an exclusive interview with Chronicle Sport, Forde who is currently attending the University of Guyana where he is pursuing a degree programme in business management said he plans to discuss his interest of participating in the event with his Guyana Defence Force (GCF) coach Robert Chisolm and the administrators responsible for sports in the army very shortly.
Forde who benefitted from a three and one half years of training at the Kip Kenyo High Altitude Training Centre in Kenya a few years ago, said Kenya is the best place to prepare for an event of such magnitude. “If I don’t get to go back there, then I’ll be seeking to go to the USA…I really want to participate in that race (Tokyo 2020)” Forde stated.
Forde who started studying at the University of Guyana in 2013 will be graduating from the institution next year and plans to step up his athletic career after completing his degree programme.
Born in Mabaruma, North West Guyana (Region 1) secured a scholarship to train in Kenya in December 2004 and spent three and a half years there. He was just 19 years old at the time.
He said he benefitted tremendously from that training stint in terms of better foundation and was looking forward of spending four more years training there “but the Guyana Olympic Association (GOA) thought otherwise” Forde declared, adding “I think there was a breakdown in communication since I had to let them know how I feel and what my intentions were.
I looked at the reports the centre sent to the GOA and I thought that was enough, but when I returned home I spoke to them and told them I want to go back.”
Forde said from training in Kenya, he was able to eclipse a 50-year old 5000-metre record that was set by George DePena at the 1962 Commonwealth Games. That was in 2010 when he returned 14.07 for the event at Central American and Caribbean Games in Puerto Rico.
Forde went on to state that in Delhi 2010, he was able to set a new record for 1500 metres (three minutes 44 seconds) to break Desmond Hector’s local record, “I left here for KENYA running 4.04 in the 1500m event.”Forde stated.
By 2008 he registered 3.46 in Italy at an international event and after that I kept lowering times for the 1500m but6 not the 5000m.
“I’m still hoping after finishing UG in May 2016 to have conversation with the GOA, Ministry of Sport and the GDF to have a collaborative effort to go back to Kenya or to the US because I think I can do better than I’m doing right now. I hope that whatever I put forward to them, they can agree on it collectively and I can look at where it’s more feasible” Forde stated.
Forde said on the local scene everyone is running about the same time and no one is pushing themselves to run faster “they are all running 32/33. That’s why the3 standard here is not improving, it’s not world standard’ Forde declared.
Forde opined that there should be a plan as to what competition he is going to as one should not jump high too quickly.
Forde has represented Guyana at several international meets over the past years and has do9minated the local middle distance events.