– Jagdeo, Anthony fail to show; PM Hinds booed at opening ceremony
By Rawle Toney
President of the Guyana Teachers Union Colwyn King has called for an end to segregation in sports stating that all sports disciplines are not being treated equally.
“If sports are to go forward, I think that people need to stop the segregation. Athletics only comes along once a year and yet still, the struggle we get in securing sponsorship is ridiculous,” he declared. King also called for an investment in sports.
“It’s about time that we had a synthetic track in this country. I don’t think land is the problem since Guyana has plenty of it. We say we want a Usain Bolt but we are not prepared to invest in sports, so how can we have one? It’s not right for you to be spending in one part of sport.”
King said the absence of an athletics coach attached to the Department of Sport showed the seriousness with which athletics in Guyana was being taken.
Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports Dr. Frank Anthony was down on the official programme to deliver the feature address but he did not show up. Neither did president Bharrat Jagdeo, who is the Patron of the games and it was left to Prime Minister Samuel Hinds to officially declare the games open.
Hinds’ remarks as to how the games can unify schoolchildren from around Guyana was met by loud boos from the nearly 3000 persons in attendance which forced him to hastily end his speech.
The 48th Annual Guyana Teachers Union (GTU), National Schools, Track and Field, Swimming, Cycling and Teachers Championships was officially declared open on Tuesday evening in Linden mth glamour and flair at the Mackenzie Sports Club (MSC) Ground.
Regional Chairman of Region 10, Mortimer Mingo, in his welcoming remarks, said that the games meant a lot to the people of Linden and as such, a lot was put into planning and organizing the event on their behalf.
He highlighted some of the top athletes from Linden who have represented Guyana with distinction and paid tribute of former national track star Elton Jefford who recently passed away.
Meanwhile, the games torch was carried from Bayroc to the MSC ground by several former outstanding athletes from the mining community before being was lit by Mingo.
