The National Aquatic Centre opened yesterday at Liliendaal, East Coast Demerara, as plans were disclosed for developing the sport and marketing it to potential sponsors and athletes and hosting showpiece events after a warm-up/warm-down facility becomes a reality.
The commissioning was attended by President Bharrat Jagdeo, who delivered the feature address, members of the diplomatic corps, ministers of government and other officials, representatives of various sporting associations and students from a number of schools.
Jagdeo praised Sport Minister Dr Frank Anthony for his perseverance and strength of character over the years despite the “ups and downs with the project” and some “unfair characterisation by the media.”
However, Jagdeo said that he was pleased that the facility has finally opened and hinted at the possibility of a warm-up pool in the future that will ensure international competitions coming to Guyana. Jagdeo alluded to this in response to a quip by Guyana Amateur Swimming Association (GASA) president Alex Graham for Jagdeo to exercise his executive power in the last few days of his presidency to have a warm-up/warm-down facility.
“I will not make significant commitment on the Treasury that will outlast my presidency but since I am told that this warm-up pool only costs $25M I am sure that we can afford it and now with the state of our finances which is constantly improving and we can look forward to significant growth in revenue as our economy expands without increasing taxes…we will be able to afford many of the facilities that hitherto we had not been able to fund largely because the competition for funds was intense and funds were scarce,” Jagdeo responded.
The president also wished the persons who will be using the facility all the success in the future and urged them to cherish the Olympic-size pool. He also promised that the pool will be properly maintained.
Graham, in his delivery, indicated that the pool was a long time coming during which time GASA’s brimming anticipation gave way to frustration and then to despair on when it would have been completed. However, he noted that yesterday the excitement and anticipation had returned to the swimming fraternity.
He indicated that partnership was important for the finished product, acknowledging that GASA is responsible for the development and promotion of swimming, diving, water polo and synchronised swimming.
However, by the same token GASA is dependent on the state to provide the infrastructure, which “sometimes remains outside of our resources and reach.”
“We have therefore been pleased to collaborate with the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport on the development of swimming in Guyana. Indeed, there have been clear synergies between Dr. Anthony’s vision for swimming and GASA’s development plan,” stated Graham.
Part of GASA’s plan incorporates the marketing and improvement of the sport to potential sponsors and athletes, establishing new clubs around the country and developing a school, in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and the Guyana Teachers’ Union (GTU).
GASA is also aiming to develop an Elite Athlete Programme, establish a community development programme and roll out a signature event that starts in 2012.
Therefore plans have been submitted for the adequate utilization of the pool, with greater usage time, to settle what has been a contentious issue over the past few years.
Graham noted that local swimmers have been performing creditably overseas and with this new facility the performance will be significantly improved.
The pool’s commissioning comes just over a week before the GTU/MOE National Schools Swimming, Track & Field and Cycling championships, which runs from November 14-18 at the Guyana National Stadium. Guyana will also be hosting the Goodwill Swimming Championships, an annual development meet that involves Guyana, Trinidad & Tobago, Suriname and an invited country.
The Goodwill Swimming Championships will serve as a dress rehearsal for Guyana’s 2013 hosting of Carifta Games, according to Graham. Nineteen countries are expected for this event and he reminded the gathering, especially Anthony and Jagdeo, that the warm-up/warm-down pool is a critical facility for Guyana’s readiness to host these showpiece events.
Graham added that with the new pool the Golden Arrowhead will be hoisted more frequently around the world at competitions.
Anthony in his address highlighted the work that the government has done to refurbish and build new facilities as well as explore “new frontiers.” He said that the Aquatic Centre programme is a flagship programme that the government is proud of and it will be available to facilitate GASA’s elite training programme. He also pointed out that the facility will be open to other sport associations and schools. He said that the sport ministry has started talks with education ministry to establish “schools swimming clubs”. Apart from these, Anthony said that the pool will be made available during the day for a “special swim fit programme.”
Anthony also said the facility will become a teaching centre for regular educational programmes for persons who are interested in becoming officials, referees and coaches for various disciplines under the swimming umbrella. “We are looking to making this a centre of excellence for swimming in the Caribbean,” Anthony assured.
Meanwhile, Director of Sport Neil Kumar reflected on the days when the sport of swimming was virtually non-existent. He said that Guyana’s colonial masters and the previous executive had never recognised the country’s athletes and this was evident by the absence of any “world class facility for any sport.”
Meanwhile, Niall Roberts, 2008 Beijing Olympic swimmer, and Brittany van Lange were the first winners at the pool when GASA organised two races to demonstrate the four common swimming strokes – butterfly, breaststroke, backstroke and freestyle. Swimmers also took part in a game of water polo while the girls did a synchronised swimming routine.
