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API 2017…Collins and Callender promises to set best 100m time at Leonora; Athletes ready to shine

Jul 15, 2017 Sports, http://www.kaieteurnewsonline....etes-ready-to-shine/

By Franklin Wilson
Multiple Olympians 42 year-old Kim Collins (PB 9.93) of St Kitts & Nevis and 33 year-old Emmanuel Callendar (PB10.05) of the Twin Island Republic of Trinidad and Tobago have promised that they will click the fastest time yet at the Leonora Track and Field Facility, venue for today’s Aliann Pompey Invitational (API) Meet.
This international Track and Field spectacle will get cracking from 15:00hrs with the opening ceremony, while gates will be opened one hour before.
Yesterday, at the athlete’s official hotel, Ramada Georgetown Princess, API Director Aliann Pompey, Guyana’s Four-Time Olympian was joined by the athletes as well as representatives of most of the sponsors to update, the media, while the athletes also answered questions.
Pompey once again expressed thanks to her valued partners, the sponsors, athletes and other stakeholders for helping to make the activity a success.
Sharing the head table were Ms. Petal Ridley – Director of Sales and Marketing of Ramada Georgetown Princess Hotel, Patrick Briton – Quality Plus, Clive Pellew – Water and Beverages Manager Banks DIH Ltd, Troy Peters – Communications Manager Banks DIH Ltd., Aubrey Hutson – President Athletics Association of Guyana, Christopher Jones – Director of Sport, Danielle Campbell-Lowe – Public Relations Rep. Ministry of Communities, Lennox Cush – CEO Star Party Rentals and Carl Bowen – Commercial Manager Fly Jamaica Airways.
Collins and Callendar will be coming up against local boy, Junior Carifta and South American Junior gold medalist Compton Caesar who will be using today’s 100m as warm up ahead of the Pan American Junior championships in Peru in a few days time.
Collins stated that he was elated to be in Guyana for the first time and is encouraging everyone to come out to be part of this historic event as he and his colleagues will be putting on a great show.
”I am looking to the performance tomorrow (today) not because it’s my first time here but because it is what I do and I want everyone that is coming out to see a great show and I know everybody is going to try and defeat the old man but it’s not going to be so easy. Age comes with experience and I think it’s going to be a great event so I am very happy to be here to support, thanks for the invitation.”
With regards to giving a prediction on what time he is looking to clock, this was Collins’ response: “What’s the fastest time on the track, 10.25? Well, that definitely have to go, no offence to the last guy who put it there, athletes is not about peaking but we want to run as fast as possible every time. I don’t believe in peaking, because if you run sub 10 tomorrow (today) the next time you go on the track you want to run a better sub 10, so we would love to see a sub 10 tomorrow (today). That’s my view on what could be possible.”
When T&T’s national champion this year, Emmanuel Callender, was asked his take on the sub-10 time, he responded that he was in support of this 100%.
Also supporting the desire for a sub-10 time was Guyanese athlete Stephan James who will be coming up against Winston George in the 400m. Jeremy Bascom, who will be competing at Leonora for the first time, said he is looking forward to the challenge of taking on the likes of Collins, Callender and Caesar in the 100m.
Caesar said he is aiming to have fun today in his pet event apart from claiming the top podium spot which he let slip out of his hands last year.
Hutson in remarks assured all, that from a technical standpoint, everything is in place for a smooth meet today. He said that it is his hope that the event becomes a staple in Guyana as it means a whole lot to the AAG. Hutson posited that the attraction of international athletes here will raise the profile of the sport.
A well run event, the AAG boss noted, will work in favour of Guyana’s bid to host the 2020 Carifta Games.
Campbell-Lowe informed that her Ministry, apart from sponsoring the Men’s Triple Jump under the Green Generation Guyana banner, will be partnering with the National Sports Commission to have posters of Aliann Pompey mounted at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence, Leonora and other sports facilities across Guyana.
”I can assure that next year we will improve our participation and increase our visibility at this event.”
Cush, a former athlete himself, expressed delight at being a part of the event whilst welcoming all the athletes to these shores. He did express his desire for the local athletes to take all the spoils but stopped short of making known his favourite athlete for the Women’s 400m event which his company is sponsoring.
”Going forward we would want to sponsor more events, but again good luck to you guys, happy stay in Guyana.”
Given the fact that this meet is sanctioned by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), athletes who are on the path of working towards making the world qualifying times will have a chance to do so today.
These are Compton Caesar and Andel Perry (Guyana), Kin Collins (St. Kitts & Nevis), Tahir Walsh (Antigua & Barbuda), Levi Cagodan, Fabian Norgrove Kion Joseph and Jaquone Hoyte (Barbados), Yancarlos Martinez (Dominican Republic), Fred Dorsey and Muhamad Halim (US Virgin Islands), Janeil Bellille and Kern Alexis (Trinidad and Tobago) and Leevan Sands of the Bahamas.

FM

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