Fraser confident Guyana can prosper in swimming
By Leeron Brumell
Guyana Chronicle
August 31, 2003
NATIONAL swimmer Nicholas Fraser is confident that Guyana can be competitive in the Caribbean at the minimum given the full use of the country’s resources.
The 20-year-old student majoring in swimming and water polo at a Cuban University noted that Guyana has a few coaches, namely Vibert Charles and Rawle Collins, who are not being fully utilised by the Guyana Amateur Swimming Association (GASA).
He says the two are highly qualified but an inter-county exchange programme should be put in place so that the two and other coaches can travel around the country imparting their knowledge to the various clubs.
“We have people here that can aid in the development, we don’t need to have international exchange programmes, when we can do it within the country” Fraser said in an exclusive interview with Chronicle Sport.
The 2001 freestyle goodwill gold medallist feels that Guyana has achieved a moderate measure of success over the years given the fact that there is no 50m pool available and the swimmers have limited training time in the pool.
He is confident if there is ready access to the pool with enough training time available, the swimmers will drastically improve.
The student who has plans of becoming a sport administrator says that there is a broken training structure so the coaches cannot train the juniors as they should and this seriously needs to be addressed. He is confident once a steady training structure is in full swing, public interest will increase and more talent will be spotted.
Fraser is also a coach in the Dorado Speed Swim Club, formed in 1993. This club has never lost an inter-club championship.
He was heartened with the performances of the juniors who participated in the Goodwill Swimming Championship in Suriname a few weeks ago though they did not medal.
Fraser noted that for them to swim the same time in a 50m pool as they do in a 25, they are improving.
He is confident that the exposure the juniors had at the championships was very necessary since it augurs well for their future development.
Swimming for the past 11 years competitively, Fraser has been exposed to a number of sports in his programme in Cuba, and he is hopeful that more Guyanese will register in such programmes.
He is in his fourth year of study and will graduate in his fifth year then he is hopeful he will land a scholarship to pursue his Masters.
Fraser has represented Guyana at the Carifta games, South American Consanat Games and the Inter-Guiana Games.
He returns to Cuba in a few days’ time.