Following the acquisition of land on Homestretch Avenue, Georgetown, to construct what is anticipated to be the long-awaited home of hockey, President Philip Fernandes says the Guyana Hockey Board (GHB) is putting steps in place to make the undertaking a reality.
Fernandes in February 2019, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on behalf of the board with the Government of Guyana which paved the way for the construction.
“We were advised that the Guyana Hockey Board (GHB) needs to become an incorporated entity in order to move forward from that MoU toward a lease,” Fernandes told Stabroek Sport.
He added that the federation carefully considered the nuances of the process and is now ready to move forward with the incorporation.
“We have been slow in reacting to that [becoming an incorporated entity] as it is a big change for us, a federation who has operated the way we are for many years. So, we wanted to ensure that we investigate any possible downside to this and that we do it the right way. “We are ready now in 2020 to move forward in this direction and are currently pursuing this,” he explained.
The sport is usually played at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall (CASH) and the National Gymnasium. Generally, that poses some challenges since other sport disciplines would clash to use the facility.
However, that may soon change since the government has given a lease for the duration of 25 years and has mandated that the facilities be opened for public use.
Fernandes, in 2019, lauded the government’s intervention and disclosed that the signing of the MoU and ultimately the construction of the state-of-the-art venue would make life easier for hockey enthusiasts. “This is an important moment for us and we are very appreciative of the government recognising this as a need and making it a priority.
“We see this as a very important step in taking Guyana forward in the sport. The other countries in the region have artificial surfaces for players to practice; however, we have to play on grass and so this presents us with the opportunity to put full, artificial grass in our facility to enable our young people not only to train in conditions in which they need to compete but to also invite overseas teams to come and play here,” he said.
More youngsters, especially from underprivileged communities, will have access and exposure to the game, Fernandes ended.
