THE participation of five local athletes at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games has been confirmed and the door is still open for others providing they make the qualifying times in their respective events.

It has been revealed that two U.S. based athletes – Lee Prowell and Deon Bascom have been confirmed to represent Guyana at the Central American and Caribbean Track and Field championships which will be held in Colombia from July 3-6, and will be seeking to make the qualifying times in their respective events so as to get an opportunity to don national colours in Beijing.

Prowell will contest the men’s 100 metre and Bascom the men’s 800 metre.

Addressing members of the media last Saturday at Olympic House, Guyana Olympic Association’s (GOA) president K. Juman-Yassin informed that US based track and field athletes Marian Burnett and 2002 Commonwealth Games’ 400 metre gold medalist Aliann Pompey along with Guyana based swimmer Niall Roberts, track and field middle distance ‘Queen’ Alika Morgan and cyclist Geron Williams, have all been accredited to represent Guyana at the August 8 to 24 Games in Beijing, China.

However, while Burnett, Pompey and Roberts will be actively seeking medals in the Games’ competitions, Morgan and Williams will be attending the Games’ Youth Camp which will be held during the duration of the Olympic.

Pompey will contest the women’s 400 metre and Burnett the women’s 800 metre.

Juman-Yassin had explained that despite the closing date for accreditation has passed, the athletes going to Colombia for the CAC Games will still have an opportunity of qualifying for Beijing, since the GOA earlier this year, submitted a number of names in the various disciplines for accreditation and the athletes who will represent Guyana in Colombia have already been accredited.

Juman-Yassin also informed that 18-year old George McKenzie a US citizen born to Guyanese parents registered 10.19 seconds for the 100 metre race recently but that time was wind assisted.

However, he also clocked 10.23 which was not wind assisted, but because he does not have a Guyana passport and because he represented the US at the junior level, he would be unable to represent the Golden Arrowhead at this particular games, but it is hoped that McKenzie’s parents along with the GOA will have things sorted out in the not too distant future so that the teenager can represent Guyana soon.

Meanwhile, in other GOA related activities, former national Caribbean squash champion and GOA executive Garfield Wiltshire who has a Masters Degree in Sports Administration, left Guyana for Glasgow, England on Monday to attend the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games Planning Workshop as well as the Commonwealth Sports Development Conference.

Four amateur boxers and an equal number of table tennis players (females), will attend the Pune, India 2008 Commonwealth Youth Games.

The GOA will be paying the athletes’ expenses while the respective associations will have to foot the bill for their officials (manager and coach).

Dr Karen Pilgrim, secretary of the Guyana Amateur Swimming Association has been appointed Chef de Mission.

The GOA is also forward planning for the 2010 Commonwealth Games which will be hosted by the city of Deli in India, the 2010 South American Games billed for Medellin, Colombia and has already indicated to the relevant authorities, the sports the association will be sending teams for.

The GOA will once again be staging its 10K Olympic Run in observance of World Olympic Day which will be observed on June 22.

The run will get underway at 6:00h from outside the Thomas Lands YMCA and interested athletes or teams can get registered at Olympic House.

Juman-Yassin informed that there will be a team run which will involve teams of three males and three females and based on the time recorded by the entire team’s members, the ones with the lowest time will be declared winners.
Juman-Yassin called on the armed forces to participate.