Athletics Association eyeing Europe for local athletes’ exposure

Track and Field has begun to make incremental steps to return to high-level competition with Europe set to recommence competitions in early August.

And President of the Athletics Association of Guyana (AAG), Aubrey Hutson is hopeful he can get some Guyanese athletes to compete.

To date, the only Guyanese athlete to qualify for the Olympic Games is 400m runner Aliyah Abrams and the AAG president is hoping to use the shift in the year of the Olympics as an opportunity to develop more possible qualifiers by exposing them to international meets.

“Right now Europe is going to reopen in terms of competition just after August 8-9 and we are looking to get some of our athletes into that circuit to continue to compete at a high level,” Hutson related to News Room Sport.

To enhance their chances of reaching Europe, Hutson says it is imperative these athletes run at local meets to show their readiness for a higher level of competition.

He had told News Room Sport they are ready to resume local competitions, but are awaiting approval from the government.

“We have been talking to some agents and they are happy to take our athletes into the European Circuit, but they have a certain level of performance; they are not going to invite you unless you can show them in this season where you are in terms of your competitive level. So it is important for us to have that one or two competitions under our belt.”

The President had indicated that athletes are raring to return to the track and those who would make the requirement to run in Europe, the AAG would deal with the logistics of ensuring they can leave Guyana.