GPF holds highly successful Annual Athletics Championships

The Guyana Police Force’s 67th Annual Athletics Championships were concluded on Friday July 29, 2022 at the National Track and Field Centre at Leonora, West Coast Demerara.
Events commenced at 10:00h with Deputy Commissioner, Administration, Calvin Brutus delivering opening remarks and welcoming participants and patrons to a day packed with excitement and highly competitive events.
This year’s Championships were held under the theme “Integrating Professionalism and Social Cohesion through Sports”, and athletes from Trinidad and Tobago participated in the various events.
Among the highlights of the day’s proceedings were: the 100m male and female subordinate officers’ finals; 100m male and female junior officers’ finals; male and female 4×100m relay races; and the senior officers’ races. Also, the tug-o-war events involving different divisions were exciting, and had spectators off their seats.
Besides the GPF’s mandate of “Service and Protection”, the Force, through its Sports Secretariat, has been involved in a number of community engagements to help bridge the gap between the GPF and the public. The Force has been incorporating Police Officers into its sports programmes for generations, using them as coaches and mentors to youths in the various communities across all Regional Police Divisions.
The winning teams for this year’s Athletics Championships were: Police Headquarters, combined with President Guard, had a score of 576 points; followed by Regional Divisions 4A, 4B and Special Constabulary combined in second place with 280 points. Divisions 4C, 5 & 6 combined with 216.50 points to occupy third place, while Trinidad and Tobago Police were in fourth with 163.50 points. Guyana Police Force ‘A’ was in fifth place with 148.50 points, followed by Regional Divisions 1-3 and Regional Divisions 7,8,9 and 10 respectively.
The person adjudged Best Overall Male in ‘A’ Class was Michael Mackenzie of Trinidad and Tobago with 46.50 points; and the runner-up in this classification was Quacy Morian of the Guyana Police Force, who scored 45 points. Sheldon Mason of Trinidad and Tobago came in third with 34 points.
The Best Overall Male in ‘B’ Class was Cleveland Thomas of Headquarters combined with President Guard, with 25 points. Second place was occupied by Osafa Dosantos from Region 4 ‘C’, 5 & 6 combined with 24 points, and Williams Anthony from Region 4A, 4B and Special Constabulary combined, who also had 24 points.
Aaliyah Moore from Region 4A, 4B and Special Constabulary combined, and Analissa Redmond from Headquarters and President Guard combined
were both crowned Best Overall Females with 30 points respectively, while Chief Inspector Natasha Alder from Headquarters and President Guard combined came in second with 28 points.
Police Commissioner Clifton Hicken met with the athletes at the end of the event and thanked them for their exemplary performances and discipline exhibited at the event.
The Commissioner noted that training for the upcoming Joint Services Sports would commence in the coming week, and he encouraged the ranks to continue participating in sporting events to showcase their talents.
Mr. Hicken thanked the Trinidadian athletes for participating in the Force’s Athletics Championships, and applauded them for their outstanding performances at the event.
Prime Minister Brigadier (ret’d) Mark Phillips was also present at the Championships, along with Chairman of the Police Service Commission, Bishop Patrick Findlay; Deputy Commissioner, Operations, Ravindradat Budhram; Deputy Commissioner, Law Enforcement, Wendell Blanhum; Head of Special Branch, Errol Watts; and divisional commanders and heads of department, as well as other senior and junior ranks of the Guyana Police Force. (GPF)