Dear Editor,
I must congratulate Digicel Guyana for taking the initiative to sponsor the Secondary Schools Championship tournament which looks to demonstrate the talent and skills of Guyana’s youth. What is equally symbolic is the seemingly vigorous response of secondary schools throughout Guyana to participate in this championship, as well as the support of fans especially when their schools have reached the quarter finals. There has been increased media coverage of the matches and following on this, in the social media as well.
What is sad and alarming though is the glitz and glamour the finals of the championship bring, that is exhibited via social media especially if one were to look at the photographs which have been posted on the facebook page of Digicel Guyana. What the pictures do not tell you is the number of sleepless nights that (to my knowledge) the team of the Waramadong Secondary School had to endure for almost a month. The students found themselves packed into small areas to sleep on bunk beds with no mosquito nets and with only one fan. As many as sixteen young men in one small room had to endure nights of heat and the numerous mosquitoes that Georgetown is unfortunately known for. I was made to understand that in 2013, a complaint was made to Digicel regarding this unsuitable accommodation for competitive athletes and an alternative was immediately sought, but yet in 2015, our students found themselves back in the same uncomfortable situation. In addition, the type of meals provided unfortunately did not make it any better. If one were sensitive to the cultural preferences of our people, the caterers could have decently provided what the players would eat. Many times, I am told, they only ate because they had no choice. For example, who gives athletes hotdogs for breakfast? I saw for myself what was supposed to be their dinner after the semi-final match, but which I will not describe here. It was heartbreaking. I was informed again that the concern over the type of meals served to these athletes was also raised with the company.
Furthermore, as if the accommodation and meals were not a big issue, a lack of transportation to allow for the team to train did not sit well with ‘sponsorship’ of a school team. They were forced to look for training grounds on their own and had to find transportation to do this. Heavy rains during this period of course did not make it any easier to find available grounds, but I’d like to assume that the company is aware of this as well.
I am hoping that this letter will stimulate a serious look into the welfare of school students. Understanding that sponsorship of such an event has a humongous financial pull, there is need to ensure that all teams are afforded the same comfort, training, meals and other avenues that Digicel can provide. If, however, the company is unable to cover such expenditure on its own, then we should work towards collaborating with other corporations and the relevant government ministries as well. We must allow our youth to display their full talent and skills grounded in comfort, discipline, commitment and fair play. Hinterland schools especially need expert coaching. Perhaps the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport can contribute in this regard. There needs to be a physiotherapist assigned to each team and not a medical person only on the day of the match, to allow for proper healing and recuperation.
There need to be clear written rules and criteria for the matches, other than the FIFA rules followed on the playfield, so that parents, schools and other supporters can understand and hold to guidelines and what constitutes penalties. It should outline who qualifies as an eligible player, or who qualifies for a ‘scholarship,’ which I am made to understand schools were promised. Last but not least, we should look into taking the matches into the hinterland of Guyana where there are well managed grounds.
So whilst Digicel has seemingly sponsored these matches over the years, this time around I need to express my deepest gratitude to those who contributed in more ways than one to making it a little better for our boys. Persons such as Jean La Rose and the APA, Debra Sutherland and her husband Reggie, Mr Chinnian and his wife Janet, Daphney George, Melzina Wolfe, Bendrel Thomas, Nigel Hughes, the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples Affairs and Minister Dawn Hastings Williams. We wish to say thank you in the biggest way to Louie Thomas who has worked voluntarily over the years and seemingly has been doing a great job of bringing them to the highest groups in the absence of a certified coach to work with the team. Finally, we wish to thank the parents of these students who have had to dip into their hard earned dollars to provide for their sons; for example, they have been tasked with buying their football boots, training uniforms and other gear. While we all work to enable our youth, let us not limit it to only the Digicel Schools Championship but take it beyond the secondary schools level to bigger arenas. Congratulations to all schools that have participated, and who supported their students.
Yours faithfully,
Laura George
