The Annual Independence Track and Field meet is scheduled for May 27-28 bodes to be better than the inaugural version in 2016. This is according to President of the Guyana Overseas-Based Sports Association, David Thomas.
Thomas, speaking at a press conference on Tuesday noted that in honour of Guyana’s Jubilee Independence celebrations, the overseas based organization held a Jubilee Track and Field Meet in May of 2016.
He pointed out that then Public Health Minister; Dr George Norton was so impressed that he invited the Association to return on a yearly basis to pull off the Track and Field meet.
The organizer highlighted that the meet will come in handy as a sort of warm-up for the athletes that are currently preparing for the South American U-20 Championships. The athletes, 65 in total will be participating in the South American U-20 games just a week later on June 3 and 4.
This year’s meet which will be held at the National Track and Field Facility at Leonora, will include events for the “Peewee” group, ages 6-8 while all other regular events are retained. Teams from Schools across Guyana and various athletic clubs will participate for top honours.
The meet is slated to begin at 10:00hrs on both days while the 10K and 5K races will be held on Sunday May 28.
President of the Guyana Overseas-based Sports Association, David Thomas
Medals and trophies will be given to winners, while bicycles will also be handed out. Cash prizes will go out to winners in the open categories, the amounts are yet to be set.
Sponsors for the event include Banks DIH, the Athletics association of Guyana (AAG), Sybil’s restaurant of New York and a number of individuals who will sponsor various track events at the meet.
Last year’s event saw Natrena Hooper take the women’s 100m win in a time of 11.4s to finish the race ahead of Aniquah Powley who clocked 11.7s. Third in the race was Police’s Kezia Bess with 12.1s. Hooper then followed that up by emphatically winning the 200m event.
Meanwhile on the men’s side, GDF’s Rupert Perry blazed his way to a 10.1s finish in the 100m, where he finished ahead of clubmate Akeem Stewart (10.30s) while third place went to Police’s Kevin Abbensetts in 10.4s.
In the men’s 400m, Police Arinze Chance clinched the first-place position, ahead of Kareem Purch and Wayne Harlequin. Chance took victory in a time of 48.9s, just before Purch’s 49s finish while it took Harlequin 49.3s to make it to the finish line in time for third.
However in the women’s 400m, Hooper was upstaged by CARIFTA Games bronze medallist Andrea Foster.
