“It gives me great honour to give Guyana a reason for celebration,” Pompey said after she was presented with a gold necklace and earrings by GOA president, K. Juman-Yassin.

The new local sport star said she would take every opportunity during her visit to the land of her birth to express how good it was to be here.

“I am very happy to share this joy with you,” Pompey said.

Minister of Tourism, Industry & Commerce, Manzoor Nadir, said in winning the Commonwealth gold medal, Pompey has promoted Guyana to an extent that money cannot buy.

“What you have done by winning that medal for sport tourism in Guyana, we cannot hope to purchase using any amount of mass media,” Nadir declared.

The minister added: “All I want to ask you, when you win the Olympic gold, say when the camera comes in front of you: ‘I am taking a vacation in Guyana’. ”

Juman-Yassin used the occasion to make yet another appeal to the authorities to start establishing sport facilities, this time asking for the government provide land on which such facilities could be constructed a little at a time.

General Secretary of the People’s National Congress/Reform, Oscar Clarke, said: “This is an occasion for which all of us, Guyanese, can be proud and should be proud.”

The opposition party member pointed out that not many people had heard of the athlete before her historic achievement. He also observed that it was always difficult to stay at the top.

“I want to tell her now that she has reached the top at the level of the Commonwealth, she has to reach the top of the level of the world. She still has a greater challenge ahead of her. I have no doubt that she has what it takes to get there,” Clarke declared.

Director of Sport Neil Kumar who represented Minister of Sport Gail Teixeira said that Pompey achieved the feat by being disciplined.

“Your achievement will be a source of inspiration for young people,” Kumar said.

The sports official disclosed that GOA vice-president Neville Denny championed the cause of Pompey on the local scene, dispatching numerous letters to the sport ministry for support.

Chairman of the night’s proceedings, GOA vice-president Claude Blackmore pointed out that Pompey was the only athlete of the Guyana contingent to win a medal at the Manchester Commonwealth Games.

Blackmore, who is also president of the Amateur Athletic Association, referred to a programme that began since 1995 to train athletes overseas and of a network to attract athletes with Guyanese roots to represent the country.

The AAAG head observed that Pompey could now use her achievement to attract more overseas-based Guyanese to come on board.

“You are a shining example for our young people,” Blackmore said.