“IT IS finally here, true international competition after a very long time!” is what president of the AAG, Aubrey Hutson, thinks of the upcoming Aliann Pompey (AP) Invitational track meet, which was officially launched yesterday at Olympic House, High Street. Athletes from over 15 countries, stretching from as far as Ireland to as close as Trinidad, are set to battle it out at the international meet, which is scheduled for June 18 at the National Track and Field Centre, Leonora, West Coast Demerara.
The meet is the brainchild and namesake, of Guyana’s Commonwealth Games gold medallist, Aliann Pompey, and is being held in collaboration with the Athletics Association of Guyana (AAG), the Guyana Olympic Association (GOA), and the government of Guyana through the National Sports Commission. The meet also has the blessing and support of a number of corporate sponsors including Digicel, Fly Jamaica, GuySuco, Ramada Princess Hotel among others
“As president of the AAG we are happy to be associated with and be a part of this meet. This meet gives the opportunity for our local athletes to match their skills against international competition, and the chance for the Guyanese public to see those people that will be representing us internationally.” Hutson continued.
Pompey herself shared that she is extremely overwhelmed by the support that the meet has garnered; not only from the sponsors, and sporting organisations, but from the athletes as well.
“The interest for (the meet) is there and it’s growing every day. When I started, I think I said 10 international athletes and then we’re moving ahead, and we’ve surpassed that. At this level it was very surprising,” Pompey remarked.
“I expected some interest to be generated but I’m getting emails and calls from agents across the world trying to find out more about the event and even if not for this year for next year. We definitely can’t sustain all the interest, but there is still some room to have some more persons come in,” Pompey expressed.
According to Pompey at the end of the day budget restraints will determine just how big the participation list will be. The organisers currently have a list of 34 confirmed athletes, while there is a waiting list with another 25 athletes hopeful of getting in on the inaugural event.
The participants include a number of Guyanese, both from overseas and at home, including Olympic qualifiers Aaliyah Abrams, Winston George and Brenessa Thompson.
The meet will have a total of 14 track events and two field events. There will be four premier events (men’s and women’s 100m and 400m races) which will have cash prizes from first to third, amounting to US1000 for first place, US$600 for second and US$300 for third.
Specific race branding like the Fly Jamaica women’s 100m, the GOA men’s 400m, the Ramada Princess Hotel 110m hurdles, Quality Plus men’s 200m, GuySuco men’s triple jump, the Digicel’s men’s 100m and women’s 200m were also announced. The other races, outside of the international races, are also expected to attract cash prizes for first place finishers with the amounts being worked out.
One of the most attractive features of the meet is that it will be one of only two held in Guyana at which athletes can qualify for the upcoming Rio Olympics in August. It is also the lone inaugural meet that Guyanese athletes will have the chance to qualify at home. Both Hutson and GOA president, K. A. Juman-Yassin applauded the event for that.
Additionally, for the first time in recent decades a meet in Guyana will feature hurdles race, of which the meet will have three, – the men’s and women’s 400m hurdles, and the men’s 110m hurdles.
Representatives from sponsor Digicel and Fly Jamaica, as well as Director of Sport Christopher Jones were also present at the meet and expressed their great joy at being associated with something so prestigious.
“The NSC, and by extension the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport, is only too proud to be associated with the AP Invitational. The fact that Aliann would have represented Guyana internationally and put Guyana’s name out there internationally, we see this most fitting as a tribute to not only Aliann Pompey but the men and women throughout the country,” Jones said.