Inter-School Kayaking Competition: Team dedication and collaboration is key to tournament’s success

Following the successful hosting of the third Annual Inter-School Kayaking Competition on Sunday last at Watooka House in Linden, the organizer Deon Anderson has been ecstatic about the dedication of participating teams, and more so about the support of the spectators.
Linden Foundation, with their ability to move swiftly through the water, finished the competition with 71 points and walked away with the $400,000 first prize.
Harmony Secondary had posed a threat to the title winners, but had to settle for second place and $250,000; while 2023 Champions Kwakwani Secondary finished in third with 56 points and took home $150,000.
In an exclusive interview with Guyana Times Sport event organizer Deon Anderson divulged that dedication of the teams has been the key to the tournament’s success.

“The key to the hosting of this tournament is the dedication of the teams and also the good collaboration with the schools; because the kids, more than anybody else, are looking forward every single year,” Anderson related.
“You know, coming down close to this time, they are like, ‘When is gonna be this competition?’; so, that excitement, that enthusiasm, is what keeps the competition going. So, when is time for practice…time for the competition to happen, students come out in their numbers, the teams are being formed, and they put their best arm forward basically to have a quite successful and competitive tournament,” Anderson detailed.
With the Nationals edition of the Tournament set for July, Anderson, in expounding on his expectations of the tournament, said, “We expect to see teams from Rupununi District, Berbice District, Pomeroon District, and all these districts. So, we expect the best of the best to come forward and put their best foot forward in this competition. So I know it’s going to be great, and they are looking on to see what is it they need to do to prep and put themselves in a good position for July,” Anderson revealed.
This competition has seen participation from 13 schools hailing from Linden, Kwakwani, Georgetown, Berbice, and the West Side; namely North Ruimveldt Secondary, North Georgetown Secondary, St. Stanislaus Secondary, West Demerara Secondary, Berbice High, Mackenzie High, Christiansburg Wismar Secondary, Wisburg Secondary, New Silvercity Secondary, Linden Foundation Secondary, Harmony Secondary and Kwakwani Secondary. (Omar McKenzie)