30 athletes and 13 coaches will benefit from GOA/IOC solidarity fund

Jan 21, 2018 Sports, https://www.kaieteurnewsonline...ioc-solidarity-fund/

With financing from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Solidarity fund, the Guyana Olympic Association (GOA) has decided to disburse monthly stipends to 30 local and overseas based athletes along with 13 coaches from 10 disciplines to help with their development.

The money that will be doled out this month will be retroactive from December 2017 with the total sum amount to almost $18million.
Head of the Guyana Olympic Association, K.A. Juman-Yassin, noted at a simple but significant press brief at the GOA’s headquarters at Lilliendaal that the monthly pay will vary according to the specific needs of the athlete/coach with a minimum of $20,000 and a max pay of $60,000.
There will be specific conditions and reporting requirements which must be fulfilled by the recipients in order to receive stipends.
The timely completion of World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) whereabouts forms along with attending anti-doping seminars are a few of the obligations that athletes must fulfill in order to continue to receive the stipends which will be paid out bi-monthly.
The GOA had aimed for national athletes and coaches to be fully-funded in order to adequately focus on their goals but the stipend is nevertheless a positive start. September last, Keevin Allicock, who claimed the Flyweight (52kg) division silver medal at the Commonwealth Youth Games Boxing Championship in the Bahamas, last July, was one of the first recipients of GOA’s development grant.
Yesterday at Olympic House, Liliendaal, the first step was taken on the journey of making local full time athletes and coaches a reality.
“I have been speaking for years that our athletes and coaches need to be rewarded. It will not fully reward them but it’s the first step. Once you make the first step it’s easier to make the second… and the Government should come on board so that resources can be pooled,” Juman-Yassin explained during the brief.
General Secretary of the GOA, Hector Edwards, posited that, “Today’s event is one that we can all embrace and at a later time have much appreciation.”
He added that the days of being a successful part time athlete are long gone. In the same breath he stated that the GOA will do everything in its power to make local athletes successful. He also stated that it is important to be successful academically as well as athletically.

The full list of athletes and coaches who will be receiving GOA stipends follows;
Athletics’ Association of Guyana

Coaches
Johnny Gravesande
Linden Phillips
Julian Edmonds
Glenton Pantlitz

Athletes
Compton Caesar
Jermaine King
Kenisha Phillips
Deshana Skeete
Chantoba Bright
Joanna Archer
Toyan Raymond
Daniel Williams
Daniel Melville
Winston George
Troy Doris
Brenessa Thompson
Kadecia Baird

Guyana Amateur Boxing Association
Athletes
Keevin Allicock
Christopher Moore
Coaches
Terrence Poole
Sebert Blake

Guyana Badminton Association
Athletes
Narayan Ramdhani
Priyanna Ramdhani
Coach
Gokarn Ramdhani

Guyana Judo Federation
Athlete
Joshua Buchanan

Guyana National Rifle Association
Athlete
Lennox Braithwaite
Ransford Goodluck

Guyana Amateur Swimming Association
Athletes
Andrew Fowler
Leon Seaton
Hannibal Gaskin
Jamila Sanmoogan

Guyana Squash Association
Athletes
Mary Fung- A-Fat
Sunil Seth
Coach
Carl Ince

Guyana Table Tennis Association
Athletes
Shamar Britton
Christopher Franklin
Chelsea Edghill
Trenace Lowe
Coaches
Hillary Anderson
Idi Lewis

Guyana Rugby Football Union
Coaches
Theodore Henry
Larry Adonis

Guyana Volleyball Federation
Coach
Ms. Kirenia Ballard