President of the Guyana Olympic Association (GOA), K. Juman-Yassin Friday lambasted the government and the National Sports Commission’s decision to fund the successful CARIFTA Games team with a grand total of zero dollars.
Juman-Yassin, who once again called for the Sports Policy to be enacted, made his remarks Friday at Olympic House following the return of the CARIFTA Games contingent from Curacao.
The team secured eight medals, four being gold at the 46th edition of the Games which concluded on Easter Monday.
“The Government, the Ministry of Sport and the National Sports Commission as far as I understand, didn’t make any financial contribution to the team going to the CARIFTA Games. That for me is not good enough,” he said.
“Every year the games comes up and they know, but every year the AAG has to go with its bowl begging for funds to be able to send athletes abroad and every year, they are unable to get the requisite amount to send the full team than they wish to send. That is unacceptable,” charged Yassin.
“With that in mind they need to show a firmer commitment before teams leave Guyana and not wait for them to return. I really hope that moving forward we will see that funding coming beforehand. I sincerely hope that this will be a lesson to them to invest before so that when the athletes return it would not only be for a photo opportunity but it would be something more tangible,” he added.
Sports Policy ——subhead
Juman-Yassin then reiterated that the long awaited Sports Policy needs to become a reality.
“This Sports Policy from the government needs to come as early as possible so that all associations would be able to know what funding they will get and the athletes will be able to know that if they achieve a certain level and are classified as an elite athlete or national athletes then they would be able to know what funding they would be able to achieve.
“The Sports Policy would enable you to set targets for yourself, the coaches also.”
He stressed that “The point I wish to make is that we need to have the Sports Policy like today or tomorrow.”
Juman-Yassin then underscored the importance of academics to the teen athletes then concluded by assuring President of the Athletic Association of Guyana (AAG), Aubrey Hutson that funding will be forthcoming from the GOA.
“I have already asked Aubrey (Hutson) to let us have a plan as to what we can do for the coaches and the athletes locally, let us see what we can do locally.
“The coaches have done exceedingly well with their athletes locally and let us see what funding we can provide to assist and make it better. The AAG will have the support of the GOA to stimulate and to put things in place for the young athletes and the coaches,” he said.
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