IT’S going to be more than double the money to be won at this year’s Aliann Pompey (AP) Invitational, where athletes from across 19 countries will descend upon the National Track and Field Centre this Saturday, in Guyana’s biggest international track and field event.
This was revealed when the meet was officially launched yesterday at Olympic House. The organiser Aliann Pompey, and representatives from several of the sponsors were also present at the head table.

Some US$6 000 was up for grabs at the inaugural hosting of the event last year, but this year will see a whopping US$18 500 for the taking when the best of Guyana’s athletes measure up against their international counterparts, including the likes of world champion Kim Collins, who will be headlining the Banks DIH Men’s 100m.
All thanks to the increase in sponsorship that the event has seen, the Men’s triple jump, as well as the Ramada Georgetown Hotel Men’s 400m hurdles and Fly-Jamaica Women’s 400m hurdles will be added as international events, and now join the Banks DIH Men’s and GOA Women’s 100m events as carrying a purse of US$2 000.

In those events, first place will get US$1000, while it will be US$600 for second place, and US$400 for third.
“I am extremely happy about the level of support for this year’s AP Invitational,” Pompey said.
“In all three of those additional events we have Olympians. We have a pretty substantial international field that I feel warranted the increase in price money structures.”

This year, Star Party Rentals and Douglas and Associates Law Firm have come on board as sponsors of the event, joining returning sponsors Banks DIH, Fly Jamaica, National Sports Commission (NSC), the Guyana Olympic Association (GOA), Quality Plus, IAAF, CONSUDATLE and Ramada Georgetown Hotel.
“Despite not having names like Usain Bolt, I’m sure that if you will be scorched at the Leonora Stadium, we look for it an action-packed meet on Saturday and we encourage fans to come in their numbers and once again we lured a lien for initiative and thanks for having Banks on board,” said Banks DIH Communications Manager Troy Peters.
Banks DIH is sponsoring the event under their Powerade, Rainforest Waters, and Malta Supreme brands.

In addition to the increased international events, the cash prizes for the national events increased from US$200 to US$500.
However, Pompey explained, that the meet is still far from where it needs to be, as some events still remain to be sponsored.
“There still are a couple events that are unnamed and we would be grateful for any last-minute sponsors. There are a couple of field events as well as the women’s 1500m and that’s not sponsored

Additionally, for the national events to be upgraded to international events by attracting world class athletes, the cash prizes for those events will also need to increase significantly.
“It has to be worth it to the athletes and then you can see that’s why the other events are more populated. That’s why we have so many more events where there are Olympians and World Championship qualifiers because the prize money structure reflects that.
Hopefully with the public support, and the continued corporate support and the support of the government we can see all those events being fielded by an international field; that’s the process that were working to,” Pompey explained.