THE Guyana Olympic Association (GOA) yesterday handed over financial support to the Guyana contingent attending the South American Youth Championships, ahead of the team’s departure this morning for the November 12 – 14 event in Concordia, Argentina.
A team comprising athletes Kenisha Phillips, Chantoba Bright, Daniel Williams, Tyrell Peters, team manager Mayfield Taylor-Trim, and coach Johnny Gravesande departed Guyana at 06:00hrs. GOA president K. A. Juman-Yassin wished the team well as he handed over an undisclosed sum to Trim and commented on how happy he was to see the team off, adding that he was particularly pleased that Phillips was a part of the team.
Phillips is currently receiving sponsorship from the GOA towards her training and academics.
“I want to compliment Mr. Hutson and his executives for sending such a team, and I want to wish them all the best. I would like to urge the athletes to do all their best. I’m happy that Ms. Phillips is going, because last year she was awarded a scholarship by the GOA to last while she’s in school, and once she is progressing in her academics and in her sporting activities, that will continue. She has so far been fulfilling both aspects, and so I’m happy that she’s going.” Yassin said.
Phillips, and Peters were also present at yesterday’s conference, along with Athletics Association of Guyana (AAG) president Aubrey Hutson. The two athletes spoke of their hopes of living up to the eminence of the last Guyana team to participate at the biennial event.
“I feel wonderful that I was selected for this team, and I’m hoping to do my best. I think it will be a little challenging, but I am trying to remain focused and just mentally prepare for this meet.” Phillips said.
The athletes have big shoes to fill. Guyana currently holds the boys’ 400m record, which was set by Jason Yaw back in 2014; while, also in that year, Natricia Hooper finished with gold in the girls’ 400m. They were the only athletes to have attended the event.
At this year’s event, Phillips will be performing in the girls’ 100m and 400m; CARIFTA Games silver medallist Chantoba Bright will be in the girls’ triple-jump and long jump; while Daniel Williams will be contending in the 100m and 200m, and Peters will compete in the boys’ high jump and 400m.
Each of these four athletes had participated in the Guyana team at the CARIFTA Games earlier this year, and each was part of the athletics team that represented Guyana at the recent Inter-Guiana Games against athletes from Suriname.
Hutson noted that these selected athletes represent the AAG’s efforts to increase exposure of athletes at higher-level competitions. “These athletes that are going now are athletes that we try to expose a lot. We’re trying to increase on their experience. It is a costly exercise, the budget is over $3 million to get these athletes out there, but this is what the AAG is trying to do to expose our athletes to international competition, so that when they get to the right age, they wouldn’t be short of exposure and be intimidated by the level of competition,” Hutson said.