Gold medalist appeals for rubberized track
- eyes next Olympics
By Clyde Pestano
Stabroek News
April 26, 2003
Gold medalist at this year's Junior Carifta Games, Cleveland Forde, is appealing once again to the local authorities for Guyana to have a rubberized track for athletes like himself, possibly at the National Park athletics field.
Forde, who won a gold medal when he repeated last year's victory in the 5000m at the just concluded games in Trinidad and Tobago said that with such a facility Guyanese athletes can become more competitive especially with their Caribbean counterparts.
He mentioned that most of the time Guyanese athletes are at a disadvantage when they compete on these surfaces since they are not accustomed to them.
Forde claims that when he competes at any level, his focus is on winning.
According to him, when he is in a race he does not concentrate on who he is competing against but what will be the result at the end.
Forde and his coach Leslie Black visited Stabroek Sport yesterday and brought with them the Gold medal he won.
The talented athlete revealed that he was not happy with his total performance even though he won gold. He said that he would have liked to better his personal best (time), but was hampered by two niggling injuries.
Forde said that before he left for the games he had a slight shin injury and that had kept him out of the initial trials for the games and that is why he had to compete later in New Amsterdam in order to make the team.
The athlete also revealed that while he was in Trinidad he strained his hamstrings during the first race he competed in over 1500 metres. He claimed that as a result of this he could not run the subsequent race, his pet event, over 5000 metres the way he had wanted.
He explained that his plan was to go out and lead from the start but he was not sure how much the injury would have affected his performance and so he adjusted his plan and kept with the leading runners for most of the race and then made his move at the end.
He, however, conceded that he a bit surprised at the competitiveness of the Jamaicans who kept him on his `toes'.
The athlete disclosed that he will next compete at the Hampton Games in Trinidad & Tobago scheduled for May 3-4 and said he hopes to better his personal `best' then.
Forde also disclosed that he would love to represent Guyana at the next Olympic Games and said he would be training even harder with that in mind.
His advice for young people is to keep focused and to invite God into whatever they want to do in life.
He added that young people should try as much as possible to keep busy doing constructive things which may not necessarily be related to sports.
Forde claims that he is motivated by his coach Leslie Black and family and also his close family members especially his brothers Carl and Curtis.
He added that he plans to visit his mother and father who live in the interior, in August, to spend some time with them.
Forde also said that he has to thank God for giving him the strength and talent he possesses.
Leslie Black, Forde's coach who accompanied him, supported his charges' call for a rubberized track in Guyana which will help Guyanese athletes to prepare properly for international events.
According to Black, Forde and Jennifer Chichester are two bright prospects for the future and they should be given all the necessary tools and help they can get.
He lamented the fact that without sponsorship from the local business community it is hard for athletes to make it on the international scene and to bring recognition to their country.
Black explained that most athletes do not win thousands of dollars when they compete at these meets and so they are dependent on the business community and the local sporting authorities for assistance.
According to Black, while an athlete may be talented and trains regularly, nutrition and other requirements also have to be met and can be quite expensive to maintain.
Black on behalf of himself and Forde expressed thanks to Universal Airlines, Salim's Aquafarm, GT&T, Neil Kumar (NSC) and all those persons have helped then over the years.
