A national five-year sports plan will soon be established and will aid in the utilization of sports as a tool for national development.
According to a Gover-nment Information Agency (GINA) release, a draft of the plan is to be ready in March this year. On Saturday representatives from sports associations/federations met at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall for consultation on the plan.
According to the release, the plan will focus on policy objectives, stakeholder groups and community sports, while seeking to strengthen many of the dominant sports as well as others that are overlooked or non-existent in Guyana. The plan will coincide with a project being piloted by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) in Guyana, Haiti and Paraguay to use sports to foster national development.
IDB’s project coordinator Sam Barlett said his organization has been involved in conducting sports for development projects for over five years and is now conducting evaluations in Latin America and Guyana.He urged all associations to work towards making the project a reality and added that a strategic plan can enable the development of sports at the team, community, national and international levels.
Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports Dr. Frank Anthony said the plan will help each stakeholder to understand the undertakings of different associations and the areas needed for development.
He referred to a United Nations report that highlighted the importance of sports as a tool for eliminating social ills which can be very applicable to Guyana.
He added that sports goes beyond being a recreational practice; it is integral to quality education, public health and substantial development, gender and ethnic equality.
In the area of health, Minister Anthony said research has shown that sports enthusiasts are encouraged to abstain from alcohol, drugs and tobacco. The private sector was named as key investor in sports, particularly in the provision of human and capital resources.Guyana Sugar Corporation was singled out as a good example of organizational investment in several communities.Minister Anthony’s concern, the release stated, was the private sector’s limited sponsorship for sporting activities.
Director of Sports Neil Kumar expressed his disappointment with the way some clubs are functioning, adding that the National Sports Commission following assessments has identified six associations that will be revitalized.
Kumar said that the plan will also include participation from the Ministry of Education, now that Sports are part of their curriculum.
The release added that multi-purpose sports facilities will be established in Essequibo and Berbice, while the one in Linden will be upgraded.
These projects will be overseen by Minister Anthony.
