Commonwealth Games: Guyana’s 32-athlete contingent heads to England in search of glory

Thirty-two athletes from Guyana will join their peers from the other members of the Commonwealth Games Associations for the hosting of the event formally known as the British Empire Games, which gets going on Thursday, July 28, in Birmingham, England.

First held in 1930, the Commonwealth Games, the second-largest multi-sport event after the Olympics, brings together some of the world’s brightest stars within the Commonwealth.

This time around, Guyana’s 32 athletes will compete in the disciplines of Boxing, Badminton, Swimming, Squash, Track and Field, Table Tennis, and Cycling.

While the games officially open on July 28, the competition will get going on July 29 with the country’s boxers, swimmers, squash, and table tennis players going into action

BOXING 

With the hopes of adding to the country’s medal tally of 16 since the 1930 games in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, boxers Colin Lewis and Desmond Amsterdam will enter the ring on the first day of competition.

Lewis, who competed at the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Australia, will certainly have a score to settle since his first taste of competition at this level ended in controversy.

Spectators at the event, held on the country’s ‘Gold Coast’, booed the judges’ decision which saw Lewis losing 4 – 5 to Louis Colin from the Republic of Mauritius in the Round-of-32 of the Men’s Light Welterweight Division.

Meanwhile, Amsterdam, who won the country’s first medal at an American Boxing Confederation (AMBC), will be looking to show that his Bronze in the Elite Competition in Ecuador this year, is just the start of many to come.

Amsterdam will touch gloves in the Middleweight category, and like Lewis, will know his opposition at the tournament draw.

SQUASH

Over in Squash, Jason-Ray Khalil and Shomari Wiltshire are slated for action in the Men’s Preliminary Round-of-64 Singles, while Ashley Khalil and Mary Fung-A-Fat while battle it out in the females division.

TABLE TENNIS

Over in Table Tennis, the quartet of Shemar Britton, Christopher Franklin, Johnathan Van Lange and Joel Alleyne are down to compete in the Men’s team event.

Olympian Chelsea Edghill will lead Natalie Cummings, Priscila Greaves and young sensation Thuraia Thomas in action in the women’s team event.

SWIMMING

The country’s swimmers will enter the pool, all seeking glory in their respective events.

Paul Mahaica and Sekhel Tzedeq are the males in competition; Patrice Mahaica and Aleka Persaud are down to compete in the women’s category.

Guyana, competing at the previous 18 Commonwealth Games, amassed a total of 16 medals inclusive of four gold.

Troy Doris’ 2018 gold in the men’s triple jump was the country’s lone medal at the games held on the Australian Gold Coast.

See list of athletes below:

TRACK AND FIELD:

Men’s – Emmanuel Archibald (Long Jump, 100m, 4X100m), Arinze Chance (200m, 400m, 4X100m), Akeem Stewart (100m, 200m, 4X100m), Noelex Holder (100m, 200m, 4X100m) and Quamel Prince (800m).

Women’s – Chantoba Bright (Triple Jump), Jasmine Abrams (100m), Aaliyah Abrams (200m, 400m), Kenisha Phillips (200m, 400m) and Joanna Archer (800m).

TABLE TENNIS:

Men – Shemar Britton (Singles, Doubles, Team, Mixed Doubles), Christopher Franklin (Singles, Doubles, Team, Mixed Doubles), Johnathan Van Lange (Singles, Doubles, Team, Mixed Doubles) and Joel Alleyne (Doubles, Team).

Women – Chelsea Edghill (Singles, Doubles, Team, Mixed Doubles), Natalie Cummings (Singles, Doubles, Team, Mixed Doubles), Priscila Greaves (Singles, Doubles, Team) and Thuraia Thomas (Doubles, Team, Mixed Doubles).

SWIMMING:

Men – Paul Mahaica (50m Butterfly, 50m Freestyle, 100m Butterfly, 100m Freestyle) and Sekhel Tzedeq (50m Backstroke, 50m Freestyle, 100m Backstroke, 100m Freestyle).

Women – Patrice Mahaica (50m Backstroke, 50m Freestyle, 100m Freestyle) and Aleka Persaud (50m Butterfly, 50m Freestyle, 100m Butterfly, 100m Freestyle).

SQUASH:

Men – Jason-Ray Khalil (Singles, Doubles, Mixed Doubles) and Shomari Wiltshire (Singles, Doubles, Mixed Doubles).

Women – Ashley Khalil (Singles, Doubles, Mixed Doubles) and, Mary Fung-A-Fat (Singles, Doubles, Mixed Doubles).

BOXING: Keevin Allicock (Featherweight), Desmond Amsterdam (Middleweight) and Colin Lewis (Welterweight).

BADMINTON:

Men – Narayan Ramdhani (Singles, Mixed Doubles)

Women’s – Priyanna Ramdhani (Single, Mixed Doubles)

CYCLING: Christopher Griffith (Time Trial, Road Race.