By Treiston Joseph
Four of Guyana’s top track prospects: Stephan James, Jevina Straker, Alita Moore and Chavez Ageday have attained scholarships to attend and train at the ASA College in New York, U. S. A. The four athletes have received student visas for the scholarship that will last two years at the college.
However, three of the athletes Straker, Ageday and James will be winging out this morning (Wednesday) at 06: 15 hours to start their scholarship, while Moore will have to travel hopefully in a week’s time.
Moore’s delay is due to her being a member of the Guyana Police Force, and according to a source, some logistics have to be sorted out before she leaves for the scholarship.
While the athletes will be hitting an indoor season as soon as they land in the U. S. A, they will also have to prepare for a tedious two years of academic studies.
James and Ageday have elected to do Information Technology and computer repairs, while Straker will be doing a pharmaceutical course. Moore is scheduled to take on nursing.
Meanwhile, president of the Athletics Association of Guyana (AAG) Aubrey Hutson wished the athletes well, stating that he looks forward to establishing a better relationship with the college for future scholarships.
Hutson also revealed that the college contacted the athletes directly through a mediator in Val Barnwell, while the AAG facilitated the financing of the tickets for the athletes.
Straker is a three-time Carifta gold medalist and has had the most success out of the four on the international scene. James would be next as he has been the most consistent of the four while bagging a South American junior and Under-23 bronze medals.
Ageday, despite his well documented struggles on the international scene, finally had some success earlier in the year, winning 100 metres Under-23 bronze medals.
Moore, on the other hand, has been steadily improving and is the only female in Guyana that can boast of beating sprint ace Alisha Fortune (Boyce/ Jefford Classic 2013) who has dominated the female sprints for the last six years. Moore is also a double Inter Guiana Games (IGG) gold medalist, a feat Straker has also accomplished along with James.
