Forde and Payne on show tonight in Trinidad
By Michael DaSilva
Stabroek News
June 18, 2002
Guyana's top two junior track and field athletes, Clevland Forde and Tai Payne have received a special invitation to compete at the Desmond E. Braxter Central Games in Trinidad and Tobago tonight.
Atoms Athletic Club coach Foster Sampson told Stabroek Sport the two local athletes received a special invitation with all expenses paid, from the Games committee, to compete at the meet which will be held at the Ato Boldon Stadium, Couva, Trinidad, tonight.
Sampson who coaches Payne said his charge will contest the men's 800-metre while Forde (Rising Stars Athletic Club) will do battle in the men's 5000-metre.
Payne, a Mings Products and Services sponsored athlete, is expected to better the one minute 51.33 seconds he returned for the 800-metre at the Junior Carifta Games in the Bahamas earlier this year.
Sampson predicts that Payne, a 2002 Hampton Games double gold medalist (400 and 800-metre), will return one minute 47 seconds tonight. Asked why he is so confident about the 1:47, Sampson declared "I know what I am training".
Sampson also said it is very important that Payne clock below one minute, 50 seconds if he is to qualify for the World Junior Track and Field Championships, slated for Jamaica in mid July.
Last year, Payne won a silver medal at the Junior Carifta Games in Barbados and gold medals at the Hampton Games (Trinidad) as well as the Whitsuntide Games in Grenada. He also finished fourth at the Junior Pan Am Games in Argentina.
Leslie Blacks who coaches Forde, told Stabroek Sport "it's good to see persons outside of Guyana recognising Guyanese talent and even paying all their expenses to compete at meets overseas".
Blacks said Forde will use tonight's race as a warm up for the Central American and Caribbean Games, slated for Barbados from July 5-8.