About forty boys from Victory Valley, Wismar, Linden recently received gifts and are now in a football camp which also aims to help their general development.
The August 4th presentation at the Mackenzie Sports Club, organized by the friends of the late Richard Thompson saw the launch of a football summer programme for the boys. They are being coached by Compton ‘Chatta’ London, who grew up in Linden but lived in the United States of America for several years before recently remigrating to Linden. Members of the Milerock Under-thirteen team and their coach, Errol Dainty also attended the event.
Brenda Blair-Bailey, who travelled from the United States to be part of the ceremony, said that she felt committed to carry on Thompson’s legacy because he was a very close friend, whom she saw a few days before he died. Stating that Thompson’s death touched her, Blair-Bailey said she contacted Lawrence Griffith, a close friend of the deceased, about continuing Thompson’s legacy of encouraging youths in Linden to develop their lives by combining sports and education. She said that she started on her own by contacting donors for clothing and other things for the youths. In her speech Blair-Bailey, whose father Inspector John Blair was head of the Demba Constabulary, said that she lived in Mackenzie for many years until she migrated to the United States in 1969.
“Richard lived in New York but loved Guyana so much that he returned every year,” she said. “He was able to see the plight of the young men in Linden and to keep them out of trouble he set out to organize a soccer programme at the Mackenzie Sports Club. Each year, he solicited donations in the US and with his own money bought soccer equipment, trophies and uniforms for the clubs in Linden.”
She called on the young men to commit to staying with the programme and to make something positive of their lives. “Find out what you have a passion for and aim to accomplish it. I will ask you all to make a pledge to be the best you can.”
Griffith said that Thompson was at the helm of sports in Guyana – cricket and football – for about forty years.
“He captained the Mackenzie Cricket Team from 1963 – 67 and under his captaincy, MSC won the Wight Cup for the first and only time and was promoted to the Northcote up and subsequently Guyana’s highest club competition, the Case Cup,” Griffith recalled. “He was passionate about sports. In his later years, he placed emphasis on developing talent among young sports people, encouraged by the bright smile on their faces. He wanted them to have fun and to do their best. He shared his love of all sports and tried to inject that love into the kids. He positively influenced the lives of many young people like Mr. London, enabling them to make better choices and providing them with an opportunity to enhance their sports abilities”.
London in his presentation said “The young men you see here, I’ve already spoken to them that I was in their position one time. Even though they come from the Valley, I love them all and I care about them and I want them to be better. I always tell them it’s not where you come from, it’s where you end. And even though the Valley is supposed to be the worst area in this district, there are good people in the valley. I want you guys to be better. Stay away from crime. Stay away from drugs and if you have an objective in life, you have to work to get it. Nothing comes easy. I know that we at Mackenzie used to laugh at you people from the other side of the river. But you are people, too, and I am begging you guys to stay from trouble, stay away from drugs. I know if you have an objective in life, you can make it. If you can be better than what your father is, that’s what you should be doing. If your father was a carpenter try to be better than a carpenter. If he was a shoemaker, try to be better than a shoemaker. In this world of technology … if you don’t have an education, you don’t go nowhere in life. There is much to be had in life but you’ve got to try hard. A mind is a terrible thing to waste and if you have an objective in life, you can do it.” London said that he asked the police to be present because he wanted the young men to understand that “even the police have the intention of helping you guys”.
Cadet Officer W. Wallace informed the gathering that he is the new Community Development Officer for the Police E Division and his work entails that he deals with youth groups and young people in Linden as well as communities located on the Linden/Soesdyke Highway.
