The Guyana Olympic Association (GOA) will today stage a Sports Forum at Olympic House Liliendaal, Greater Georgetown.
The forum, which gets underway at 10am, is expected to attract a number of sports journalists as well as representatives of the various national associations/federations that come under the umbrella of the International Olympic Committee.
“The idea is to have a different perspective of how things should be done in sports,” said Hector Edwards, Secretary General of the GOA and a former national cyclist.
“So often persons in sports take a narrow view of things, and this forum is intended to broaden to way we think and do things,” he said adding that the media can play a very critical role in this regards.
Edwards, a lecturer at the University of Guyana, said at the conclusion of the programme it is hoped that the participants would have a much broader outlook on sports.
“At the end of the forum it is the intention to see things different, which will help in the development strategies, methods and approaches at the (National Federations) NFs and NOC levels,” he said.
Asked if he felt the various sports associations/federations were doing what they should do in preparation for the major international sports competitions such as the Commonwealth Games, the Pan American Games and the Olympics Edwards said:“Much more can be done by national federations, even with the limited financial resources at their disposal. We need to have a better match between our needs and the human resource available. We have failed to attract enough persons with the development of sports being their main priority, and will to give of themselves unselfishly.”
On the question of the role of the media in promoting the ideals of the Olympic Movement Edwards said the question
was interesting…”since an Olympic Academy is currently been put together to promote the Olympic values, and the media will be one of the most important stakeholder in the activities of this entity. The promotion of the Olympic values can help every facet in our society,” said Edwards.
