Dear Editor,
Today (Monday), I met with Guyanese in New York to brief them on the situation in Linden, Georgetown and the general environment in Guyana. Owing to the presence of Guyanese track and field coaches, discussions revolved around Guyana’s dismal display at the Olympics.
There was a jingle:
Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago and even little Grenada got gold.
Guyana the producer of gold was left out in the cold.
Earlier, I referred to the inappropriate identification of the coach of swimming. I wish to highlight now another unfortunate misstep by the Guyana Olympic Association and the Ministry of Sport. We sent off Ms Aliann Pompey who is 30 years old and may be in the twilight of her athletic career, but left behind Kadecia Baird, a 19-year-old Junior Champion who represented Guyana in Spain this year. Why didn’t the Guyana Olympic Association send Baird along with Pompey, so that the teenager could be groomed and inspired for the future?
Before I state my case, let me make it clear, all Guyana should be proud of Ms Aliann Pompey for she has done us proud on many occasions, and perhaps as a nation, we should have given her greater recognition. Apart from Ms Pompey’s injury earlier this year, her best time for 2012 for the 400 metres was 52.10; 19-year-old Kadecia‘s best time for the year over the same distance was 51.04 and she won the silver medal at the World Junior Championships.
Citizens who would like to enjoy with pride the next Olympics in Brazil 2016, must without delay, as this letter seeks to do, demand immediately from the Ministry of Sport, the Guyana Athletics and Olympic Associations, a change.
To begin with, our Director of Sport must not be seen as a political appointee. The Guyana Athletics Association must put aside the proclivity to use available funds to travel first class and stay in five-star hotels and recruit coaches whose only interest is the athlete and the pursuit of perfection.
May I make this suggestion: we do not like to use the word ‘compulsory,’ so may I propose that every primary and secondary school be required to include a Physical Education /training programme from kindergarten to university. It would have two benefits: to produce a healthy nation, and provide a catalyst for making world champions. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.
There should be a post-Olympics seminar to review our weaknesses and come up with a plan that will allow us to join the golden group of the Caribbean.
Finally, I must emphasis that the plan and execution of the plan must be way above petty party politics and bring in those overseas and locally who would produce results. Listening to the government, we are not short of the resources; however, we need men and women at the helm who are sport oriented recognizing that in the modern world, sport is serious business and should not be trivialized.
Yours faithfully,
Hamilton Green JP
