OVER 150 youths from Corentyne to Linden and in between turned out to match their skills in track and field as the Athletics Association of Guyana (AAG) on Saturday held its first Academy Championships Meet.
The youths ranged from ages six-12 and competed in a variety of track and field events.

Vice-president of the AAG, Nial Stanton told Chronicle Sport that it was a resounding success.
Stanton believes that based on what he has seen, within the next 10-15 years Guyana will see its younger athletes excelling at CARFITA and also doing well at the Olympics.

According to Stanton, youth programmes such as this are the best way to start preparing the young athletes and keep them away from unwanted distractions in their communities.
He also encouraged parents to have their children involved in sports, as it provides countless benefits to student athletes.
Children joining the academy are not required to pay any fees.

Meanwhile, Vice-chairman of the National Sports Commission, Cristy Campbell, praised the AAG’s stewardship of the academy.
She said athletes from ‘seven different districts including Linden, East Bank Demerara, North, east and South Georgetown, East Coast Demerara, and Berbice have to be nurtured.’
She encouraged the AAG to “guide these young athletes along the right path to transition to elite athletes.”

The sport administrator said the NSC, ministry and government remain committed to the sustenance of these academies.
Director of Sport Steve Ninvalle thanked the AAG for ensuring that the ‘academy is steered in the direction that aligns with the goals and objectives of the National Sports Commission,’
He added that ‘the number of regions being represented underlines a very important fact that organised athletic training by experienced and certified coaches is being decentralised.’
The Athletic academy is one of 10 created and funded by the National Sports Commission (NSC) and the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport.