Peters trip to Canada in limbo
by Candyss Odle
Stabroek News
March 13, 2003
Talented hepthathlete Nyota Peters is still in Guyana, and her scheduled training at Montreal High Level Training Centre in Canada is in limbo.
Peters was scheduled to depart since February 28 for the sojourn in North America. President of the Amateur Athletic Association of Guyana, Claude Blackmoore, gave two reasons for her still being in Guyana.
According to Blackmoore the Training Fund, set up to raise the $342,000, required for the trip overseas, only realised about $90,000.
US$200 was donated by Mr. Ronald Waddel, $40,000 by Cops Security Service and $10,000 by Adzer Windows,
In addition Blackmoore said Peters' passport was deemed damaged when presented to the Canadian High Commission. This resulted in the athlete having to secure a new passport.
During her sojourn in Canada, Peters was to be coached by IAAF coach Daniel St.Hillaire who was credited as introducing her to the heptathlon while he was conducting a coaches' course here in November 2001.
The AAA president said that the IAAF coach is currently in Birmingham, England at the IAAF World Championships, so he (Blackmoore) would have to await the coach's return to Canada before any contact pertaining to her travel arrangements could be made.
Blackmoore also disclosed that Nyota could go to Canada at any time, but the earlier she arrived there, the better it would be for her, and if she is not able to go to Canada then her only other alternative would be to return to Manaus, Brazil where she has already completed a training stint.
Her training in Canada was to help prepare her for participation in the hepthalon at the Pan Am Games to be hosted by Santo Domingo in August.
Contributions to the fund could be made at Olympic House, 94 Oronoque and Laluni Streets, Queenstown, Georgetown.
