80 athletes and coaches to benefit from training with Olympian Felix Sanchez

Scores of Guyanese athletes and Coaches across age groups will, over the next week, have the opportunity of a lifetime: to train with and learn from Dominican Republic Olympic gold medallist and former world champion, Felix Sanchez.

The four-day Sprint and Hurdles Clinic will see 65 Guyanese athletes and 15 Coaches benefiting from theory and practical knowledge in the areas of fundamentals and acceleration, power and speed development, endurance and race strategy, as well as time trials and evaluation.
During a simple opening ceremony at the National Track and Field Center (NTFC), West Coast Demerara (WCD) on Wednesday morning, Sport Minister Charles Ramson Jr encouraged the athletes to grasp the opportunity with both hands, highlighting that it was one that most would be envious of.

“I would trade places with you if I could, at your age. If I could go back being your age – 16, 17. If I could trade places and go into your places, to have this experience, being trained by an Olympic/world champion, you don’t know how lucky you are right now. There are people, millions and millions of athletes around the world that don’t have this opportunity, and we’re making this investment in you. You have to do something in return. You have to make up your mind that you want to be a world champion and make that commitment that you’re going to pursue this all the way to as far as your talent takes you,” Ramson Jr expressed.
Going on to touch on the importance of such a programme, Ramson Jr told the athletes gathered, “This programme gives you an exposure to an extremely important but comprehensive training that helps you to move from where you are to becoming as great as you want to be. Now, who else can you learn from? Who else can mentor you? It is the people who are already successful and the people who have already achieved what you are looking to achieve. We haven’t had any gold medal winners for any sport, Olympic medal winners, for any sport come to train any athlete or any group of athletes in this country, ever. You have that today.”
The man of the moment, two-time Olympic gold medallist (2004, 2012) and two-time world champion (2001, 2003) in the 400m hurdles, Sanchez spoke of the time he previously spent in Guyana, in reference to his eagerness to return.

“Last year, I was invited to bring some athletes from our academy to an invitational and it was quite an experience and now, less than a year, I’m back here and able to share with you guys and give you some of my bits of knowledge, not only as a coach but as an athlete,” the Olympic gold medallist related.
Sanchez went on to encourage the athletes to make the most of the opportunity before them, stating: “This is a beautiful programme that your Government sees the necessity for. You guys have the talent or are diamonds in the rough that need this help, need this support, to help you guys continue to grow. So, to be able to tap in and share with you guys, it’s a blessing. So, I hope you guys soak it all up, all the coaches, all the athletes, let’s make the most of this time together.”
Also in attendance on Wednesday morning were Dominican Republic Ambassador to Guyana, Ernesto Torres Pereyra; Director of Sport, Steve Ninvalle; Assistant Directors of Sport, Melissa Dow-Richardson and Franklyn Wilson alongside Athletics Association of Guyana (AAG) President Sheryl Hermonstine and its General Secretary, James Cole.
Hermonstine, in her time with the mic, also chimed in, encouraging the Guyanese athletes to make the most of the clinic.
She shared, “We’re a new council, just about a month old and our manifesto is already being fulfilled. I have to say, and continue to say a very special thank you to the Honourable Minister Charles Ramson for his support, as well as the Government of Guyana. I want to also advise you the participants, that over the next five days, you take in what is being taught to you so that you can better your skills.”
The Sprint and Hurdles Clinic is set to conclude on Saturday, April 26.