Senior lecturer at the University of Guyana, Dr. Michael Scott has said that for the Olympic Ideal to be accomplished there must be engagements of a diversity of stakeholders to repair the fractures in sport.
Scott made the remarks while delivering the keynote address at the Guyana Olympic Association award ceremony Friday evening at the Georgetown Club.
He mentioned that more investment in time, treasure and talent would lead to the Olympic Ideal during his stirring feature address at the appreciation and award ceremony.
He outlined several areas that have caused the fracture such as Oscar Pistorius’ murder charge of his girlfriend and Lance Armstrong’s doping revelations.
Said Scott “There is a fractured, discredited and deeply challenged system of contemporary sports/games, clouded in suspicion.”
He added “There is the growing media frenzy around sports and games, and the private and public lives of personalities, which is unsettling and unnerving, there are unexpected happenings e.g. homicide, suicide, sudden demise, unexpected disclosures or discoveries leading to eager, concerned and puzzled fans.
“There are publicized and untold and tempting excesses, the glitz and the fast lane and all else that accompany success in sports, there are expressions of bitterness, threats, law suits etc, there are traps and technologies to undo the sanctity of the credibility system.”
Scott went on to point some out ways in which the fractures can be mended.
“All the various worlds (competing, sponsoring, scrutinizing and adulating/skeptical) of disparate and desperate players in a complex world, not only that of sports” Scott noted. “This must be a greater priority than attempting to build an edifice which has no parallel”.
“To properly harness the power, energy, health and zeal of youth and cohesion of the constituent nations in the face of innumerable challenges to inculcate the right values about how to get to the finish line as well as how not to get there to ensure appropriate character formation through effective socialization to the world of sports and games for if it can’t be done there then we’re in serious trouble.”
Scott continued “To restore the innocence and trust in participation in sports and games – which calls for a strategic review of sports and games whether as industry or enterprise, supportive tool to learning, health and wellness”.
In closing, the University of Guyana lecturer congratulated the awardees for their achievements.
In his address president of the GOA, K.A Juman Yassin thanked the association for reelecting him to his post and mentioned that he will continue to work with his executive to do as much as they can for the athletes.
Yassin also renewed his call for a National Sports Commission, justified sending the athletes to the 2012 London Games.
Guyana Times’, Avenash Ramzan was named Sports Journalist of the Year for his coverage of Olympic Sports while Frank Tucker, Beni Sankar, Amir Khouri, Gregory Rambarran, Maurice Amirez, Carmen Pertab, Linden Johnson, Donald Sinclair all received awards for their contributions to Sport.
Former General Secretary of the GOA, Ivor Obrien was awarded the GOA’s Council Member of the Year 2012.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) Award went to the Buxton Committee which was collected by Marva Patterson.
Awards also went to badminton player, Priyanna Ramdhani and Bernice Juman Yassin.
Notably present was Guyana lone Olympic podium finisher (bronze medalist at the 1980 Olympics), former boxer, Michael Parris.
