OLYMPIAN Winston George, CARIFTA Games medallists Andrea Foster, Chintoba Bright, and South American Youth Championships silver medallist, Daniel Williams, were among those who received athlete of the year awards, in various categories, when the Athletics Association of Guyana (AAG) held its annual award ceremony last Saturday night at the YMCA.Loud applause greeted the announcement that Coach Johnny Greavesande, of the Upper Demerara athletics club, won the Coach of the Year Award.
Most of the night’s awards were generally predictable, given the small pool from which the athletes had to be chosen, making Guyana’s most outstanding athletes easily identifiable.
The Youth Female Athlete of the Year and Youth Male Athlete of the Year deservingly went to Lindeners Chintoba Bright, and Daniel Williams, respectively, both of whom are coached by Greavesande.
Bright, who last year peaked with a 6.09m in the female long-jump, won two bronze medals at the CARIFTA Games and another bronze medal at the South American Youth Championships (SAYC). Locally, she produced the year’s best female jump in the long-jump.
Williams, who finished second place in the boys’ Under- 18 400m at the CARIFTA Games, but was later disqualified for a lane violation, later went on to be Guyana’s most decorated athlete at the SAYC, winning two silvers and a bronze medal.

For his many stellar performances last year, including representing Guyana at the Rio Olympics, George, for the second consecutive year, won Senior Male Athlete of the Year. The men’s 400m national record holder triumphed over fellow sprinter Rupert Perry and AP Invitational men’s 800m winner, Devaun Barrington. Perry took the runner-up spot.
Coming up against sprinters Alita Moore, and Aniquah Powley, high-jumper Hooper was adjudged to have the best track record last year and won the Senior Female of the Year award, leaving Moore as the runner-up. George, who is currently training in the U.S., and Hooper, who is on a scholarship in Jamaica, received their awards in absentia, as did Foster.
Foster retained the title of Junior Female Athlete of the Year. The CARIFTA Games bronze medallist prevailed over CARIFTA Games silver medallist Natricia Hooper, a judgment that some questioned.
Hooper finished in the runner-up position, while the other nominee of this category was Jevina Sampson, who also attended last year’s CARIFTA Games but failed to impress. Both Foster and Natricia are away on scholarships at Essex College in the U.S.
Both Foster and Hooper had medalled at last year’s CARIFTA Games. Foster, a distance runner won two bronze, and Hooper took silver in the triple-jump. However, Foster also performed well at other regional meets, including copping two gold medals at Trinidad’s annual Hampton International Games, and a silver at Trinidad’s National Seniors.
Locally, Foster championed the women’s 800m at the AP Invitational, where Natricia won silver in the women’s triple-jump. Foster also took a gold at the National Seniors. Natricia finished with two silvers at the National Seniors.
The Junior Male Athlete of the Year award was starved for nominees, and that award went to Inter- Guiana Games gold medallist, Compton Caesar. Like George and Foster, Caesar was also a repeat awardee, moving up from the Youth Male Athlete of the Year award that he won last year. Runner-up Odwin Tudor was the only other nominee in this category.
The night’s ceremony also saw the 23 coaches who recently completed the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) Level One coaches course being awarded their certificates. The course was topped by Kenisha Headley, one of only three females who participated in the programme.
The ceremony was attended by Director of Sport, Christopher Jones, and president of the Guyana Olympic Association (GOA) K.Juman-Yassin , who both called for more to be done for athletes and coaches, throwing around the idea that athletes and coaches need to be given monthly stipends.Jones said the National Sports Commission already has several coaches on its payroll with plans to expand.