Forde wants to meet president Jagdeo By Michael DaSilva
Stabroek News
July 12, 2002

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Central American and Caribbean (CAC) double gold medalist Cleveland Forde wants to meet with President Bharrat Jagdeo and Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports Gail Teixeira to lobby for assistance for local track and field athletes.

Speaking with Stabroek Sport yesterday, Forde who won bronze medals in the 5000 and 10,000-metre events at the just concluded CAC Junior Track and Field meet in Barbados, said he would be glad if he gets the opportunity to meet with president Jagdeo and minister Teixeira to seek assistance in acquiring a rubberised track.

According to Forde, local athletes are at a disadvantage when competing at meets overseas. "We are not accustom to the type of tracks we have to run on when we go overseas and so we are at a disadvantage, since almost every other country in the world have synthetic tracks and athletes from those countries train on them on a daily basis, so they always have the advantage over us" Forde lamented.

Forde said he thinks his double bronze medal performance was good especially since Guyana does not have a rubberised track.

In winning the bronze in the 5000-metre, Forde erased 27 seconds off his previous personal best time for the distance by returning 15 minutes 21.71 seconds. His previous best time was 15 minutes 48.03 seconds which won him the gold medal at this year's Junior Carifta Games in the Bahamas.

For the 10,000-metre, Forde who was sponsored to the CAC meet by the world renowned Guyanese singer Eddy Grant, clocked 31 minutes 51.13 seconds to finish behind Venezuela's Danny Corrieves (31:35.96) and Mexico's Edelberto Mendez (31:42.80,3) respectively.

According to Forde's manager/coach Leslie Black, his charge erased three minutes off his personal best time for the distance.

Forde said once a rubberised track is acquired, it can be laid on the 400-metre athletic track in the National Park, and he is certain local athletics will make a forward move.

Black said he is very disappointed that Forde will not be participating at the World Juniors Track and Field meet, slated for Jamaica from July 16 to 21.

"Eddy Grant was willing to sponsor him (Forde) for the world juniors, but according to (Amateur Athletic Association of Guyana president) Blackmore, the closing date for entries to the world juniors was July 2, and Forde made the qualifying time after that date". Black informed Stabroek Sport.

According to Black, the Mexico and Puerto Rico coaches were very impressed with Forde's performance, so impressed that the Puerto Rican coach invited him (Forde) to Puerto Rico to compete.

"They (coaches) said he has good potential and are certain he will do better in another year's time" Black said.

Forde who wants to thank Eddy Grant for the sponsorship and hospitality he received while staying at Grant's home in Barbados, said during the 10,000-metre race, the Venezuelans and Puerto Ricans worked out their strategy, but after viewing the tape of the race, he saw where he went wrong and thought he should have attacked more early.

"I did it in the 5000-metre but they are stronger than me because they train in high altitude. I don't think they train harder than me, but they are naturally stronger and that's their advantage" Forde said, adding "that's why I want to meet the minister and the president, so I can ask them to help out local athletics and all will benefit not me alone".

Forde said he is on his way to realising his childhood dream of representing Guyana at the Olympics.

Black said if there are more persons like Grant around, local athletes will progress.