Mark Rodrigues, who is the convener of the committee, said, “We are hoping to be able to look into the development of not only sports alone but all aspects pertaining to youths in interior regions. And not just Region Nine, we will be looking at One, Five, Six, Seven and Eight.”
At the meeting, which was held at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall, attendees noted several aberrations in the treatment of hinterland athletes who were at the event last month.
Joyce Lawrence, a businesswoman from Lethem, noted the incident where a Rupununi District 9 athlete had to be hospitalized at the Georgetown Public Hospital suffering from food poisoning.
Lawrence related that while the athletes were en route to Georgetown on the 15-hour journey from Lethem a female athlete consumed food that was spoilt, despite being warned.
The girl, Lawrence said, was crying from hunger pains and begged to be allowed to eat the food. She was subsequently admitted to the hospital and was unable to perform at the championships at the stadium.
Lawrence further lamented the quality of the meals which were prepared for the athletes, noting that in some cases their lunch comprised of just fish and rice. An avid sports fan, Lawrence said she spoke to the cooks who had told her that they had to work with whatever they were given, which according to Lawrence also included expired goods.
Unable to bear the dire situation, Lawrence said she donated some $60,000 worth in snacks to alleviate the situation.
“The food was rice with a dry piece of fish, no gravy, no potato, nothing, so I went to the cook and ask why this is what they’re giving the children and she said this is what they got. Some of the materials were even expired. I was so upset I donated snacks every day, because I’m a sports fan and I love sports,” Lawrence said.
She also made mention of the case in which Rupununi athlete Daniel Felix was struck by a car on the East Coast during the 10km road race at the championships.
Rodrigues noted that he is hoping the formation of the body will be able to alleviate situations such as these.
“This is where we will come in, we have to ensure they get their rest, that they get their foods, that they get their rights.”
Rodrigues said further that they will be looking to formalize the body, and will be sending out correspondence to the various associations governing sport disciplines in Guyana.
He also indicated that they will be hoping to liaise with the Ministry of Amerindian Affairs to see how they could collaborate for the betterment of the athletes.
