The Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport said it hopes to team up with the Athletics Association of Guyana (AAG) on a long-term athletics programme.
The ministry made the disclosure on Thursday when the 2013 Junior CARIFTA Games team paid a courtesy call on the minister.
Minister of Sport, Dr Frank Anthony, told the athletes that he is anticipating their return home with medals when he met with the nine-member team comprising six athletes, Team Manager, Amanda Hermonstine; Coach, Mark Scott; AAG President Aubrey Hutson and Vice President, Gavin Hope, morning at his office.
The Games will be held at the Thomas Robinson Stadium in Nassau, the Bahamas from March 28-April 1.
With athletics and other sporting disciplines facing a number of challenges, the minister urged Hutson not to be daunted but to view the setbacks as opportunities to be innovative.
“If everything is easy then perhaps we would not have…development. So, in a way, while you have the challenges, look at it as an opportunity to build a better organization and I hope that as we move forward that is what we would be seeing,” Anthony said.
In response, the AAG president said he is confident about the selected athletes’ abilities as they all qualified for the Games. “All the athletes have the potential to make Guyana proud,” he said. Hutson also indicated that the AAG is on the verge of documenting its short and long-term goals which will be conducted by the coaches’ structure, an active body within the association. On completion of this task, he added, the ministry and the NSC would be notified.
Meanwhile Scotiabank and German’s Restaurant joined other groups in supporting the 2013 Junior Carifta team which departs today to competet at the games.
Matthew Langevine, Branch Manager at Scotiabank’s Carmichael Street office, said the bank was offering its support under its Bright Future Programme which targets youth.
In addition, Hubert Urling, of German’s Restaurant, said he was pleased to come on board with the AAG and his contribution was geared towards the development of youth and athletics. Other groups that have thrown their support behind the team are Stars Party Rental, Toucan Industries, Airtime, Trophy Stall and Payless Variety Store.
Dr. Anthony also reiterated government’s commitment to developing the National Track and Field facility at Leonora, West Coast Demerara.
“Our commitment is to have a track that will meet the standard of other international tracks…whatever timings we produce here will be similar to other times what we would do overseas,” Dr. Anthony said.
The facility at Leonora is expected to include a football field and a hostel where athletes can encamp for training before games.
The ministry also hopes to collaborate with the AAG initiate a programme that will allow maximum use of the track when it is not being used for training.
“We want to import coaches just like we would have done for boxing and swimming but this will only be done when we see the host association having a defined plan for athletics,” the minister said. He also revealed plans to restructure the current track and field system as it is outdated.
“Restructuring is important so that it can become more in keeping with the international level and with that talent scouting can be done,” he said.
