THIS year’s hosting of the Inter-Guiana Games, renamed the Inter-Guiana ‘Goodwill’ Games, is scheduled to include seven sports disciplines, namely basketball, swimming, table tennis, track and field, badminton, volleyball, and futsal, and will be held from October 20 to 24 here in Guyana. It was revealed earlier this year that the annual tri-nation Inter-Guiana Games between teams from Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana will go on without the participation of French Guiana, hence the decision was made to rename the event, only for this year’s hosting. “Because we don’t have French Guiana participating in these Games, this 2016 IGG is title IGG/Goodwill Games, between Guyana and Suriname.
“In 2017 Guyana will host the IGG and, hopefully, we will have French Guiana back on board so we will continue as the three countries,” says Guyana’s Director of Sport, Christopher Jones.
The idea of including another Caribbean nation in the Games had been considered, but that idea was later thrown out, keeping the competition between Guyana and Suriname. The various disciplines to participate at the event have been notified, and the details of the Games were finalised following a meeting last Wednesday between officials from both ends.
“Pursuant to a meeting with the Director of Sport and Policy Adviser from Suriname, (the NSC) would have met with our local disciplines to ascertain the availability of their athletes to participate in the IGG at October month-end. We would have communicated that information to Suriname, and last week Wednesday I had to travel to Suriname to ink that agreement.” Jones explained.
According to Jones, after being impressed with the facilities in Guyana the Suriname athletes are eager to come and be a part of the Games.
“The Director of Sports and Policy Adviser of Suriname had the opportunity to visit our facilities and the report from them is that our facilities are of top quality so they are even more excited to come and play here in Guyana,” he disclosed.