Johnson, Fortune cop AAG top awards
By Edison Jefford
Stabroek News
December 15, 2006
Terrence Johnson and Alisha Fortune copped the most outstanding male and female senior athletes awards for the second year in succession Wednesday night when the Athletics Association of Guyana (AAG) hosted a reception at Olympic House.
The reception was officially held as a 'send - off' for Director of the International Association of Athletics Federation (IAAF) Regional Development Center for South American countries in Santa Fe, Argentina, Juan Alberto Scarpin.
Johnson, a Bygyval Athletics Club discus, shot putt and javelin thrower, got the award after his excellent performance in those events at the 2006 senior national championships at the Enmore Community Centre ground in September.
Fortune won the sprint events at the same championships held for Guyana's senior track and field athletes annually. President of the AAG, Claude Blackmore lauded the two athletes for their efforts.
Blackmore also used the opportunity to thank Scarpin for taking timeout of his busy schedule to visit Guyana. Scarpin, Blackmore said, came here as part of his work with the IAAF.
Scarpin's work in Guyana over the past three days included visits to local track and field venues as well as meetings with local coaches and the AAG. He came to Guyana on Monday and departed yesterday.
During Scarpin's visit in Guyana there was much talk about the possibility of the erection of a synthetic facility in Guyana. Towards this end, Scarpin had said that the IAAF can provide up to US$60,000.
In his brief comments at the farewell reception Wednesday night, the IAAF regional director hinted at the synthetic venue for Guyana as a home for the Guyana Olympic Association (GOA) headquarters.
President of the GOA, K Juman Yassin had said before Scarpin's comments at the reception that the Olympic House in Queenstown needs relocating to its own land and headquarters.
Scarpin said that he would bear both the needs of the GOA and the AAG in mind. He left Guyana for Suriname where he will assess Suriname's need for a tartan stadium and meet with their athletics body.
Guyana, Panama and Suriname are the only three South American countries without synthetic facilities. Before Scarpin's departure he was asked by Blackmore to present Johnson and Fortune with their prizes.