API important to Olympic qualification for locals

As expected, the Athletics Association of Guyana (AAG) is backing the upcoming Aliann Pompey Invitational Track meet, slated for June this year.
The event which was founded in 2016 and missed out in 2020, owing to the Coronavirus Pandemic, has long proven to be a catalyst for local athletes to come up against regional and international competitors and meet qualification marks.
It will be no different in 2020, as the meet will pave the way for some local athletes to score points for the Tokyo Olympic Qualification.
AAG President, Aubrey Hutson spoke to the quality of the event, noting that it was essential enough for them to shift their calendar dates.
“Our National Youth and Junior Championships should have been on the 19th of June but we would have released that for the Aliann Pompey Invitational (API) which again gives the athletes much needed competition especially if the foreigners do come for Aliann Pompey and we’re also certain that they will,” Hutson shared.
Although it may not bring in as much points as other events, Hutson stressed on the importance of the meet.
The AAG Boss stated, “Yes, the points earned are not as high but we still think that Aliann Pompey Invitation is a very important staple in our calendar, so we would have freed up that space so the meet can run on that day,”
On the other hand, Pompey in a correspondence on Wednesday shared that an major part of planning the tournament surrounded the date, which in her opinion was perfect for Olympic Qualification.
“I think the date is ideal for a number of reasons. It’s not too early in the season, that athletes haven’t gotten a chance to get into their training rhythm and it’s also well within the Olympic Qualifying time so that athletes can qualify for the games by competing at the API,” the former Olympian said.
Local athletes, who have their heart set on Olympic Qualification, will also get the chance to bag some points at the National Seniors Championship in April and the South American Seniors in May. After being pushed back in 2020, owing to the COVID-19 pandemic the Olympic is currently slated for July 23 to August 8. However, there are still uncertainties surrounding the hosting of the global tournament.