Noel and Klautky to be Guyana’s flagbearers at Junior Pan Am Games 

Guyana’s top junior swimmer, Raekwon Noel, and junior girls’ hockey captain, Sarah Klautky, have been selected as the country’s flagbearers for the 2025 Junior Pan American Games in Asunción, Paraguay.

President Godfrey Munroe and the Executive Committee of the Guyana Olympic Association made the announcement.

The duo will lead a 54-member delegation representing Guyana at the opening ceremony, which is scheduled for 19:00h on Saturday, 9 August, at the UENO Defensores del Chaco Stadium.

Noel, who recently won multiple medals at the Junior Pan American Swimming Championships, is a significant medal hopeful for the team.

Klautky will lead the hockey team, marking one of Guyana’s first team sports participations at the junior edition of the games.

The Junior Pan American Games serve as a crucial developmental event for young athletes.

They bring together the region’s best future Olympic prospects from North, South, and Central America, as well as the Caribbean. The games feature competitions across 21 sports disciplines.

Guyana will be represented in six sports: Athletics, Hockey, Swimming, Archery, Weightlifting, and Badminton. The full delegation includes:

Athletics

Athletes: Malachi Austin, Kaidon Persaud, Shamar Horatio, Trevon Hamer, Simeon Adams, Wesley Tyndall, Afi Blair, Stafon Roach, Anisha Gibbons, Narissa McPherson, Kelisa Smith, Gabriel Lim

Coaches: Mark Scott, Johnny Gravesande

Swimming

Athletes: Raekwon Noel, Paul Mahaica, Shareefa Lewis, Ariel Rodrigues

Coach: Stephanie Fraser

Archery

Athlete: Lucas Chung

Coach: Jeewanram Persaud

Weightlifting

Athlete: Kymani Joseph

Coach: Tyson English

Hockey

Team: Sarah Klautky (Captain), Solana Crum-Ewing, Tinashe Henry, Kazaquah Uzzi, Keitanna Percival, Kendra James, Charlia Webb, Sara Matthias, Anna Rebecia Ferreira, Africo Blackman, Clayza Bobb, Makaylah Poole, Kristen Gomes, Hannah Percival, Madison Fernandes

Coaches/Managers: Philip Fernandes (Coach), Gabriella Xavier (Team Manager), Abosede Cadogan (Team Manager)

Physiotherapist/Doctor: Dr. Aaron Finer

Badminton

Athletes: Mishka Beharry, Joanathan Debidin, Frank Waddell, Leshaunte Berkley

Coach: Akilil Haynes

Delegation Support Staff

Chef-de-Mission: Sileena Arjune

Deputy Chief-de-Mission: Nalini McKoy

Physiotherapist: Vanessa Wickham

Welfare Officer: Carolyn Garraway

The games are set to run from Sunday, 10 August to 23 August, with the various sports commencing at different times:

Swimming: 10 August – 14 August

Badminton: 10 August – 13 August

Archery: 10 August – 12 August

Hockey: 10 August – 19 August

Athletics: 18 August – 22 August

Weightlifting: 20 August – 23 August

The swimming contingent has already arrived in Asunción, while the hockey and badminton teams are en route

. After a high-performance program, the archers are also in the host city, and the athletics team will depart on 15 August.