GCOS/Payless Variety Store support local athletes’ overseas pursuits

Six Guyanese athletes are heading overseas to further their sport and academic careers through a partnership with the King Medas Pansy Adonis Foundation. On Thursday, the athletes were given support by the Guyana Committee of Services (GCOS) and Payless Variety Store.

During a simple ceremony at Payless Variety Store in Wellington Street, Georgetown, the athletes were congratulated on significant career moves and received support from the Store and the Guyana Community of Services.

18-year-old Juvonna Cornette, a 100m, 200m and Long Jump athlete, has secured a full two-year scholarship to Central Arizona University, facilitated by the King Medas Pansy Adonis Foundation.

The Diamond Secondary School student, who has aspirations of one day representing Guyana at the Olympic Games, said she will be pursuing studies in Business and Professional Industries during the academic/athletic scholarship.

At the recent Senior National Championship, Cornette won the 200m and placed third in the 100m.

Five of Cornette’s clubmates at Tytan United Track Club of Diamond, East Bank Demerara, are also heading off to Jamaica for training in August.

They are Omari Walcott in the 800m and 1500m; Gabriel Lim in Javelin and Discus; Trevon Prince in the 400m and 800m; and D’quan Williams and Shamar Horatio in the 100m and 200m.

Local Liaison Shaquille Adonis said the athletes have previously participated in programmes coordinated by the King Medas Pansy Adonis Foundation, which is geared to assist athletes.

Adonis said the pandemic affected the Foundation’s work last year, however, he is excited about prospects of allowing the current group of athletes to be exposed to “education through sport.”

“It is very significant because they would be exposed to training that they would have never experienced before. It will help them to progress in way they would have never imagined,” Adonis said.

The partnership between the athletes and the GCOS coincided with the 25^th anniversary of Payless Variety Store, with the store’s management offering some exciting prizes in its ongoing promotion to mark the occasion.

Junior Cornette of the Tytan United Track Club praised the entities for their support of local athletes, noting that it will go a far way in helping the Club to realise its goal of producing an Olympic athlete.

Also present at the function were GCOS members Lyndon ‘Jumbie’ Jones, Joseph Ramkumar, Alisha Fortune, Rajan Tiwari and Leslie Black, A.A.