“It’s now history, both countries have accepted the ruling,” said Suriname’s Minister of Education and Community Development Edwin T. Wolf whose portfolio includes Culture, Youth and Sport.
Wolf was responding to questions from Stabroek Sport on possible implications for the Inter-Guiana Games given the outrage expressed in some quarters in the Dutch Republic following the United Nations International Tribunal award which favoured Guyana for the most part.
Wolf is in Guyana as part of the Suriname delegation carrying out final checks on the local facilities that are in place for the hosting of the Inter-Guiana Games.
Wolf, along with Richenel Trustfull, who is the Surinamese Permanent Secretary of Youth Affairs, commended the local authorities for the preparations that are in place.
“We are very satisfied with all the preparations including the accommodations. I believe that the Surinamese delegation will make a good impression here,” Trustfull said.
Minister of Sport, Dr. Frank Anthony and Director of Sport Neil Kumar, took the visiting delegation on a tour of the facilities yesterday. Anthony said he was expecting a high level of competition and good camaraderie during the Games which get underway next Friday.
“I anticipate good competition and would urge our team to do well. But in the end there are really no winners or losers as only the spirit in which the Games are held really matters,” Anthony told Stabroek Sport.
Kumar said “everything is in place” following the expenditure of over five million dollars to get the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall and the National Gymnasium on Mandela Avenue in shape for the Games. He said the local athletes will be housed at the National Gymnasium while the Suriname team will be lodged at the Ocean View International Hotel and the French Guiana team at the Woodbine Hotel.
Also, the three countries are looking at the possible inclusion of Chess into the Games at the suggestion of Anthony.
