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Dear Editor,
Congratulations to the Guyana Carifta Games Athletic team which returned home a few nights ago. This team which is perhaps the most successful Carifta Games team to ever represent Guyana returned home without the expected fanfare. It won seven medals: two golds, three silvers and two bronze. There was a fiasco at the Games in Jamaica involving the Guyana team. Certain sections of the media reported that the team ran out of money to pay for food and Covid 19 tests. A member of the Guyana Delegation contacted the distinguished Attorney – at – law Nigel Hughes for assistance. Mr. Hughes in his true altruistic manner wired money to Jamaica to assist the athletes. For his magnanimous gesture he was accused of trying to score political points, unlike Mohamed’s Enterprise whose monetary contribution was accepted without any questions asked. By the way, I hold no brief for this excellent Attorney – at – law. I am not competent to do so.
The debacle started before the team left Guyana. Police athletes Allyaha Headley 1500m and 3000m and Osa Blair 100m and 4x100m relay who trained hard under coach Lynden Wilson and achieved the qualifying times were selected to participate in the Games. They were likely to medal. However, their hopes were dashed as the day before the departure of the team they were informed that no money was available for them to make the trip despite two weeks earlier the police had written to the AAG informing them that if they were any difficulties for the police athletes to participate the police were willing to assist. The police never received any response from the AAG. As a former Sports Officer of the Guyana Police Force I am certain that the Guyana Police Force would have made funds available for their athletes to participate in the Games. The police had done so before. I am sure that they would have done it again. Their present Top Cop, Clifton Hicken is a sports enthusiast and would have easily found the money for his athletes to participate.
Oswick Pellow and Simeon Adams two other athletes who made the qualifying times and were selected to travel with the rest of the team to Jamaica suffered the same fates like the distraught police athletes. It is time that the AAG get their act together and be proactive rather than reactive or our athletes will continue to suffer due to incompetence of their association.
Yours respectfully
Clinton Conway
Former Sports Officer
Guyana Police Force
