GoG injects $7M into Aliann Pompey Invitational meet

…Event set to light up NTFC this Saturday

The Aliann Pompey Invitational (API) meet, set to be run off this weekend at the National Track and Field Center (NTFC) at Edinburgh, West Coast Demerara (WCD), has received a major boost from the Government of Guyana by way of the Ministry of Culture, Youth, and Sport (MCYS), a missive from that entity announced on Tuesday.
Some $7 million has been injected by the MCYS into this Saturday’s track event, representing the largest investment ever received from the Government of Guyana since inception of this meet in 2016.
Similar to what had obtained in previous years, this year’s AP Invitational is part of the World Athletics Continental Tour, and it provides several athletes from around the world with a final opportunity for direct qualification to the Paris Olympic Games. The cut-off date for qualification to the Olympics has been set at June 30.

In a brief handing over ceremony held at the MCYS Boardroom on Main Street, subject Minister Charles Ramson Jr declared that the Aliann Pompey Invitational aligns perfectly with President Irfaan Ali’s vision to position Guyana as a hub for marquee sporting events, thereby enhancing the country’s sports tourism sector. His remarks followed a meeting held yesterday between the MCYS, the National Sports Commission (NSC), and event organiser Aliann Pompey.
Minister Ramson also highlighted that this investment, the largest since the event’s inception in 2016, underscores the Government of Guyana’s commitment to supporting the AP Invitational. The focus, he said, is on sustaining and developing Guyana’s only international track and field championship.
Meanwhile, Pompey, after thanking Minister Ramson and the Government of Guyana, stated, “The overarching theme for this year’s edition of the competition is ‘Legacy’. We see that played out in different areas. The Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport has committed in a big way to the success of the meet, not just this year, but several to come. The Honourable Minister has expressed the importance on building on the foundation year by year, and knows that it means commitment over a period of time,” Pompey said.
She added that the input of the MCYS “is significant to the longevity of the competition and to the sport. All this trickles down to our athletes, and we’ll continue to see significant development. We thank him for his support.”
A press conference is scheduled for Friday in the boardroom of the MCYS headquarters on Main Street, Georgetown, where further details would be provided.