Police Track Club (PTC) recaptured the Athletic Association of Guyana (AAG) Track Relay Championship by defeating main rivals and defending champs Royal Youth Movement (RYM) by a 29-point margin at the Police Sports Club ground Sunday February 27th 2005.

The Police outfit tallied 239 points after the 26 scheduled events on the day's programme were completed to come ahead of Royal, who finished on 210, Silver Bullets ended in the third position way back on 78 points, while New Amsterdam Track Club (NATC) placed fourth with 34 and Bygeval in the cellar on 32. Police have dominated the local track relays, winning this their sixth championships of the seven staged by the AAG.

In results from the day's action, in the opening race Police ‘A' won the 4x200m men's relay in a time of one minute 31.79 seconds beating Royal ‘A' and Police ‘B' team respectively, while in the women's race they won in 1:49.01, with Royal second. The 4x400m Under-15 Girls event went to Silver Bullets (4:51.27), Royal second and Police third, 4x400m; Under-15 Boys - 1st Police (4:14.37) Royal 2nd.

Under-17 4x400m Girls - Royal (4:27.63), Bygeval and Police; 4x400m Under-17 Boys - Royal (3:49.75) and Police; 4x400m Women - Police (4:32.11), NATC and Royal ‘B', 4x400m Men - Police ‘A' (3:29.87), Royal ‘A' and Police ‘B'. 4x100m Under-15 Girls - NATC (57.47), Silver Bullets and Royal; 4x100m Under-15 Boys - Police (53.22), Royal and Silver Bullets; 4x100m Under-17 Girls - Royal (55.25), Police and Silver Bullets; 4x100m Under-17 Boys - Royal (47.00), Police and Silver Bullets; 4x100m Women - Police (52.39) and Royal; Men 4x100m - Police ‘A' (44.05), Police ‘B' and Royal ‘A'.

Medley 1300m Under-15 Girls - Silver Bullets (3:49.92), NATC and Royal, in the boys race - Police (3:24.94), Royal and Silver Bullets; Medley 1500m Under-17 Girls - Bygeval (4:32.00) Royal and Police, the boys event Police (3:48.57) won from Silver Bullets and Royal. Distance Medley Women - Police (10:29.36) and Royal, for the men Police ‘A' (8:00.40) finished ahead of Police ‘B' and Royal ‘A'.

In the 4x200m relays- Under-15 Girls; NATC (1:59.51), Royal and Silver Bullets; Boys- Police (1:50.70), Royal and Silver Bullets; Under-17 Girls - Royal (1:53.76), Police and Bygeval; Boys - Police (1:38.34), Royal and Silver Bullets. Sprint Medleys: Women - Police (1:57.26), Royal ‘A' and Royal ‘B' and Men - Police ‘A' (1:34.61), Royal ‘A' and Police ‘B'.

A large crowd turned out for this the opening event on the AAG's 2005 calendar and was treated to a keenly contested programme. President of the association, Claude Blackmore, pointed out that he was slightly surprised that so many athletes took part in this opening event and expressed pleased at the turnout.

He is also looking forward for a good showing at the next event to be staged by the association, the Carifta Games trials, set for the Mackenzie Sports Club (MSC) ground in Linden on March 5.

The Carifta Games are fixed for Tobago from March 26th to 28th where Guyana is scheduled to field a strong representative team of outstanding junior athletes.

Top of Page

One week after gaining the runner-up 2004 Sportswoman honor, track star Marian Burnett was in the lime-light promoting Guyana and supporting her compatriots. Last Thursday, the champion athlete made a courtesy call on the Guyana Consulate in New York to express her concern about the flood situation, and give a personal monetary donation to the National Disaster Relief Fund.

Burnett said she follows developments in Guyana on the internet, and was emotionally "moved by what the floods have done." She said,"I am giving back and promoting my country in good and bad times; and given what is happening now, I am more compelled to lend a shoulder to lean on."

In response, Evans updated the donors on the situation in Guyana, and gleefully thanked them for their wonderful gesture of compassion and contribution. Evans said, "It's so wonderful for Burnett to take time off to emphatise and share with her compatriots back home, who are so affected by this overwhelming act of nature," He noted that Burnett was from Linden, which has not been affected by the floods, and said, "Their act today should inspire anyone from anywhere to help since it speaks to the Roberta Flack song 'Where Is The Love?'." Evans added that all Guyana should be proud of the achievements and deeds of Burnett who is based in Louisiana. "Marian, for instance, calls me regularly and visits almost everytime she's in town, and that's admirable."

A consistent doner, Burnett's donations include several items of sports clothing, equipment and other supplies including Nike footwear and apparel,to a sports organisation in Guyana, last year.

Top of Page

Aliann Pompey, who was scheduled to visit Guyana February month-end, has instead donated her airfare to Guyana's flood relief

Based in the United States, Pompey said that she has been following the reports on the flood, and it was alarming that so many persons were affected, and that she was touched by it all.

Top of Page

President of the Amateur Athletic Association of Guyana (AAA), Claude Blackmoore,was unanimously returned as president of the AAA when the association held its Annual General Meeting recently.Blackmoore gained full votes of the six clubs represented.

The newly elected officicals will meet shortly to appoint the heads of the various committees and members of each committee.
The committees to be set up are: Appeals, Discipline, Track and Field, Finance, Fund-raising, Registration and Records, Development, Marketing and Medical.

Meanwhile, Keith French has replaced Neville Denny as senior vice-president and Ken Elexey was elected junior vice-president.

Phillips, who had acted as honorary secretary for some time, was confirmed in the position. Kwabena Wright replaced Franz Welch as honorary treasurer. Welch did not seek re-election.

The new assistant secretary/treasurer is Shirley Hooper.

Ten council members have been elected in Robert Chisholm, Lyndon Wilson, Raymond Daw, Amanda Hermonstine, Keith Smith, Neville Denny, Wendy Doris, Hanley Selman, Edward Singh and Mayfield TaylorTrim.

The life of this executive will run until 2009.

Top of Page

The AAA, on the evening of Monday December 20th, held its Annual Awards Ceremony at the Thomas Lands YMCA. The association also inducted two life members in GOA's Ivor O'Brien (extreme left) and Neville Denny (fourth right). Others in this Lawrence Fanfair photo are, from lef The Guyana Police Force's Sports Club and two of its members were honoured as the Amateur Athletic Association of Guyana's (AAA) outstanding team and athletes of the year, at the association's annual awards ceremony at YMCA, Thomas Lands in January. The association also inducted Guyana Olympic Association's Vice-President Neville Denny and General Secretary Ivor O'Brien respectively, as life members, and paid tribute to other persons and clubs.

Police athletes Andre Blackman and Dianne Munroe were voted the Most Outstanding senior Male and Junior Female athletes of 2004. Three-time Junior Carifta Games 5000-metre gold medallist Cleveland Forde, who is currently on a four-year scholarship at the Kip Keino Training Centre in Kenya, was named Junior Male Athlete of the Year. The Police Sports Club was awarded for winning both the National Track Relays and the Inter-Club Championships.

Robert Chisolm of the New Amsterdam Track Club and Amanda Hermonstine of Police Sports Club were given special awards for excellent service in the AAA this year. Jamal Shabazz of Road Runners Club copped an award as the coach with the best junior long distance female athlete. Veteran distance athlete Llewelyn Gardener received a prize for his participation in all but one event this year.

GOA President K. Juman-Yassin congratulated the AAA for an outstanding performance this year. He said the association is a "well oiled unit". Juman-Yassin assured the athletes that overseas scholarships are still available to them, but the work must be put in for them to acquire the scholarships.

The former chief magistrate noted that the long jump pit, which is currently under construction at the YMCA facility, will be commissioned next month. The pit is being built in honour of the late chief justice Rudolph Harper, who died in a tragic car accident last month.

AAA President Claude Blackmore said, in his report, that it has been a good year for athletics and the association. He said this was achieved both at the competitive and administrative levels, despite a prolonged period of rainfall.

He said the AAA was also able to send a number of persons on courses, through the auspices of the GOA and the International Associations of Athletics Federations (IAAF). The AAA was also represented at a number of international meets, where the juniors gave a better representation, winning five medals at the Carifta Games, and a bronze at the South American Junior Championships in Guyacil, Ecuador.He said the AAA was able to purchase its final records in the sprint races.

The introduction of an insurance scheme has also been implemented for teams travelling around the region.

Blackmoore expressed his thankfulness to all those individuals and business houses which supported the AAA and individual athletes throughout the year. When the awards ceremony got underway, junior vice-president Keith French, who chaired the proceedings, called on those present to observe a minute's silence for the late chief justice and for Ed Hartley, a former national athlete and coach, among others.

O'Brien made remarks on behalf of the awardees, while the association's media manager, Leeron Brumell, moved the vote of thanks.

Top of Page

A LONG-TIME great Guyanese sprinter and athletics coach, once London-based, passed away quietly on Saturday at around 15:50 hrs at his Orealla Street, South Ruimveldt home.

Ed Hartley who re-migrated to Guyana in 1966 after spending some 13 years in the Civil Service in London, a past sprinter and excellent source of sporting advice, has moved on to greener pastures and with him decades of history in the field of sports, particularly track and field.

After his re-migrated, he joined the Ministry of Education, often organising and giving advice to schoolteachers and coaches.

Ed was rarely beaten in his time and also raced on a few occasions on the GCC ground, Bourda, in the late 1960s where he raced unbeaten.

He passed away at age 75, but during his early years here he was instrumental in starting the Inter-Guiana School Games between Guyana and Suriname, and as Mrs Hartley remembers it went on for about five years. Mounted on her wall is a brown-lacquered shield, bearing a 1979 Inter-Guiana Games mark when it was staged in Guyana. Ed made his mark not only on the track and in administration, but was also responsible for acquiring over 40 scholarships for athletes to the United States of America (USA). One was for a disabled (physically challenged) athlete. He has worked along with the East Coast centre. He had accompanied a team of five to Connecticut and they returned with six medals in the early 1990s.

“He loved working with the handicapped,” said the slimly built Mrs Hartley. She remembers him trying recently to revive the Archery association but said it never materialised. Ed was a photographer by profession and he was the first to operate the first rated Xerox machine in London where he was Assistant Chief.

He worked at GUYSUCO as a Sports Officer. While in Barbados he had scored a 99 per cent pass in a Sports Injuries course and was often sought out for advice. Sitting in her living room, Mrs Hartley, wearing a chequered blue and white top, remembers persons turning up on her doorstep to see Ed about various injuries.

She also remembers his friendship with Dr Roger Bannister, the athlete who attempted to run a four-minute mile and James Wren-Gilkes, his colleague, who did not participate in the Olympic Games the year there was the South African boycott. Asked what she would miss most about him, she reply “him, there’s no one thing, just him”. Hartley leaves to mourn his wife and three children.

Leaving the home that was in silence, except for the few birds chirping, Mrs Hartley pointed to the overgrown bushes some 15m across from her house, “that used to be a playfield that Ed used to have various games played for the children and adults in the community. It was always his dream to have a track there but he never saw it. Wonder when that will be done?” she asked with a slight chuckle.

He will be laid to rest on Friday. His body will be for viewing at Sandy’s Funeral Home from 14:00 hrs, thence to St Pius Church for service and Le Repentir cemetery for burial.

Top of Page

Brazilians Romulo DaSilva and Selma Dos Reis won the male and female categories respectively, of the first leg of the South American Classic 10Km Road Race yesterday. Da Silva returned 30 minutes 39 seconds in winning the event from his countryman Paulo Alves dos Santos and Guyanese Cleveland Forde. Dos Santos clocked 31 minutes 12 seconds while Forde returned 32 minutes 42 seconds.

Reis who won the first leg last year, returned a record 36 minutes, 56 seconds. Last year she clocked 37 minutes 14 seconds. Reis' team-mate Marlene Fortunato placed second in 39 minutes 37 seconds while Guyana's Ashanti Scott finished third in 43 minutes 42 seconds. Cleveland Thomas of the Silver Fox Athletic Club won the male under-20 category from Belladrum's Carl Fraser and Colwin Cummings.

Safa Shabazz crossed the finish line first in the girls under-20 age group. The boys under-17 category was won by Teon Roberts of Belladrum Secondary. Second was Patrick Bobb (Road Runners) and third Shevin Saul (Belladrum). Doneka Lyle of Belladrum won the girls under-17 age group from her school-mate Culliann Roberts.

In the under-15 age group, Quinn George (Belladrum) was first among the boys, Kariem Aaron (Fort Wellington) second and Anthony Bowman (Road Runners) third. On the distaff side, Lenna Doris (Silver Bullets) was first, Alika Morgan (Rising Stars) second and Wileth Reid (Police) third.

Top of Page