By Rawle Toney in Birmingham (Team Guyana Press Attaché)
FIREWORKS lit the skies over Birmingham as the host city brought the curtain down on the 22nd Commonwealth Games.
Athletes, coaches and officials from 72 countries gathered in England’s second-largest city for the July 28-August 8 games which started in 1930.
With live performance by UB40, Jorja Smith, Dexys Midnight Runners and a sequence from the theatre show Peaky Blinders: The Redemption of Thomas Shelby, it was the fitting end to the 11-day long programme at the second largest multi-sport event after the Olympic Games.
SQUASH
Thirty-two athletes represented Guyana at the games, formerly known as the British Empire Games, but they will return home without a podium-finish.
However, the squash team will not return empty handed, since Mary Fung-A-Fat was second in the Women’s Singles plate finals, and siblings Jason-Ray and Ashely Khalil were runner-up in the Mixed Doubles Plate finals.
TABLE TENNIS
For the country’s Table Tennis team, the 2022 Commonwealth Games will go down as their best-ever since Guyana made its debut in the sport at the 2006 Games in Melbourne, Australia.
Natalie Cummings had a history-making run in the Women’s Singles, where she reached the Round-of-16.
In the Doubles, Cummings paired with Chelsea Edghill, while Shemar Britton partnered with Christopher Franklin to also reach the Round-of-16.
Coached by Linden Johnson and Idi Lewis, the country’s females, in the Teams’ event, the country finished fifth behind Singapore (Gold), Malaysia (Silver), Australia (Bronze), Wales, Canada and England.
TRACK & FIELD
At the 2018 games in Australia, Track and Field provided the country’s lone medal when Troy Doris won gold in the Men’s triple jump. Four years later, however, things aren’t the same.
The highlight of the team’s participation at the Commonwealth Games was the relay team of Arinze Chance, Akeem Stewart, Noelex Holder and Emanuel Archibald finishing fourth in the Men’s4X100m finals.
It was the first time Guyana had entered a relay team at the Commonwealth Games.
Archibald (Long Jump) joined Chantoba Bright (Triple Jump) as the only athletes to feature in the finals in an individual event.
Kenisha Phillips reached the semi-finals of the women’s 200m, while Aliyah Abrams and her sister Jasmine competed in the 400m and 100m semi-finals respectively.
The other athletes, Arinze Chance (400m/200m), Quamel Prince (800m), Joana Archer (800m), Holder (100m/200m) and Stewart (100m/200m) all exited in the first round despite creditable performances.
BOXING
Desmond Amsterdam (Middleweight) and Keevin Allicock (Featherweight), came one win away from capturing a medal and breaking the country’s 32-year jinx.
Both boxers had a questionable ending to their bouts, with many still wondering how come.
Amsterdam had his bout stopped in the second round, while Allicock was on the negative side of a split decision against his Canadian opponent.
BADMINTON
Badminton siblings, Priyanna and Narayan Ramdhani had a commendable showing in the women’s and men’s singles, as well as the Mixed Doubles but it didn’t translate to wins.
Narayan was competing at his second Commonwealth Games, making his debut in 2018, while his sister, Priyanna, was having her first taste of competition.
SWIMMING
Coach Sean Baksh arrived in Birmingham with high expectations of his swimmers at the Commonwealth Games.
Guyana’s youngest-ever Olympian, Aleka Persaud, added another National record to her increasing list, this time in the women’s 100m butterfly, with a time of one minute, 07.24s (1:07.24s)
Patrice and Paul Mahaica, and Sekhel Tzedeq were the other members of the team.
CYCLING
Christopher Griffith, the lone cyclist at the games, had a tough first outing competing in the time trials and road race.
Griffith finished down the ladder in the time trial and had a DNF (did not finish) in the road race.
After no podium finishes, the country will have to wait another four years for the games in Victoria, Australia.