Guyana’s CARIFTA Games contingent receives $2M from NSC

The National Sports Commission (NSC) has come to the assistance of Guyana’s CARIFTA Games team, heading off to the 49^th edition of the event in Kingston, Jamaica, from April 16-18.

Athletics Association of Guyana (AAG) president Aubrey Hutson, received the cheque valued at $2M from Director of Sport, Steve Ninvalle on Thursday at the NSC’s Middle Street, Georgetown, headquarters.

Guyana will be represented by 13 athletes at the Caribbean’s most prestigious track and field event, which caters for Under-17 and Under-20 athletes.

Anisha Gibbons, the first female athlete to win gold for Guyana in the javelin event in the history of the CARIFTA Games, will lead the team coached by Raymond Daw and Sham Johnny.

Gibbons, who won Guyana’s historic gold in Javelin, in 2019, along with 800M bronze medallist, Adriel Austin, will lead Keliza Smith (100m, 200m), Karese Lloyd (100m, 200m) and Hannah Reid (400m) in the Girls Under-20 division.

Narissa McPherson (800m) and Attoya Harvey (800m, 1500m, 3,000m) are the Under-17 girls. Javon Roberts (800m) is the lone competitor in the Boys Under-17 category.

Meanwhile, Shamar Horatio (100m, 200m), Ezekiel Newton (100m, 200m), Wesley Tyndall (long jump), Gabriel Lim (javelin and discus) and Trevon Hamer (triple jump) will represent Guyana in the Boys Under-20 category.

At the 2019 CARIFTA Games, the AAG sent a record 21 athletes and finished with four gold, two silver and three bronze medals.

Close to 650 athletes are expected on the Land of Wood and Water, competing in the Under-17 and Under-20 categories, as well as 150 officials from 27 countries.

This is the eighth time that Jamaica will host the CARIFTA Games since its inception in 1972. Of the 48 editions held so far, Jamaica has topped the medal table on 43 occasions.