Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports, Charles Ramson Jr., yesterday officially launched the basketball nursery of the ministry’s sport academy programme at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall, Homestretch Avenue.
In attendance were several members of the National Sports Commission (NSC) including Director of Sport Steve Ninvalle, as well as Guyana Amateur Basketball Federation (GABF) boss Michael Singh.
Basketball is one of the 12 core disciplines which is being targeted by the ministry of structural development at the nursery, tournaments and elite training levels. The other core sports are Badminton, Cricket, Squash, Table Tennis, Rugby, Volleyball, Swimming, Football, Squash, Lawn Tennis and Track and Field.
Minister Ramson Jr., during the feature address, stated that the overall objective of the nursery is to create the pathway and foundation to develop world class athletes, adding that the goal can only be realized if a concerted and combined effort is undertaken by all stakeholders.
He highlighted that improved facilities will be developed in the locales of Buxton, Ithaca, Queenstown (Essequibo) and the National Track and Field Centre at Leonora, adding that the modernization of these facilities will provide scope for the academy.
“What you can be assured of is that never in the history of this country would you have had this kind of investment being placed into sport, and never in the history of this country has the investment been made into basketball,” he said.
GABF president Singh said that a decentralized method will be utilized to provide the scope for the academy which will be headed by its coaches association, adding that the association welcomes the structured approach being utilized by the ministry to develop the 12 disciplines.
Ninvalle said that the NSC and the ministry was determined and working assiduously to ensure that the programme is a success, adding that the other two sections of the initiative, will be formulated shortly.
