The game of dominoes is often considered a grassroots sport, an event played under bottom houses and on the street corners and almost everywhere else for that matter.
There is structure in that there are associations governing the sport, two of which the Georgetown Dominoes Association and the Guyana National Dominoes Federation, are the main custodians of the sport.
Representative dominoes teams from Guyana have participated in Caribbean tournaments and even further afield such as the USA and Canada.
There was a lull in the sport, caused by the demise of Faye Joseph, a past president and, of course, the COVID-19 pandemic.
Recently, however, there has been a surge in tournaments as the sport seeks to regain its popularity.
Yesterday, the National Sports Commission teamed up with Big Boss Transportation Services to stage a 36-team event at the National Gymnasium and in delivering the feature address, Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport gave the attendees a speech which will have far reaching consequences for the future of the sport if the Minister’s vision is to come to pass.
Yesterday’s event was also attended by Chairman of the National Sports Commission, Kashif Muhammad, Director of Sport, Steve Ninvalle, and a member of the NSC Dellon Davidson.
“You have the presence and the attention of officials of the highest sports body for the country right here today. This event is happening because of the support that is given to all of you to participate and to compete, the support that is given by the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport and the National Sports Commission and the Government of Guyana,” said Ramson Jnr., in his address.
“It’s very powerful that when you get this kind of support where it will go. It’s not two years yet but they’ve been saying that the partnership that they have with the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport and the National Sports Commission is the strongest that it has ever been and as a result that they have achieved the most which means that we have a track record of success and partnership,” he added.
Ramson Jnr., said that he would give the dominoes fraternity the same support.
“The Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport and the National Sports Commission is extending that partnership to the dominoes fraternity. We know that you like playing and you like competing but we want to transform it into something bigger than that.
Think big
Ramson Jnr., exhorted officials from the dominoes fraternity to think big picture for the future of the sport.
“We want to transform it to a regional event where other regions can compete and we can have a national event and then you can also start to invite countries to participate in a Caribbean event so that you get to test your skills against the best in the region. So this is what I want you to start thinking about especially those involved in administration to start thinking big picture.
“I want you to know that when you start thinking big picture you have a friend here in the Government of Guyana and His Excellency, The President,” he said.
Director of Sport, Ninvalle, told the gathering earlier that dominoes was one of the disciplines that the ministry was investing in.
“The National Sports Commission and by extension, the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport, has started a journey whereby dominoes will be one of the sports that we are heavily investing in,” said Ninvalle.
“We stand behind you as one of your better corner men,” he added.
Muhammad, in his brief address urged the participants to have fun adding that may the best team win.
Ramson Jnr., though, made reference to the just concluded Junior Caribbean Area Squash Association tournament held here where Guyana came out overall champions, winning the boys and girls’ team events and three individual singles titles.
He said he wanted the same scope of intention for dominoes adding that inviting countries to play tournaments here will boost the economy, boost tourism, provide work opportunities for others and give the local dominoes players the opportunity to play against the best.
“The intention is to build this nationally so as to start inviting teams and countries from overseas,” he declared.
Ramson Jnr., said that now that the dominoes federation was going to receive “government involvement, government participation, government support and government partnership, they federation needed to look at who they were going to attract.
“What we want is for you to become mainstream in attracting folks who come to your event.
“This is important because your fraternity would get an opportunity to make more money, those participating would also get opportunity to make more money and prizes will get higher as a result of more money being made.”
However, the Minister said that there was need for the administrators to become a lot more organized, more hospitable and more disciplined.
“They have to do a lot more publicity and the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport and the National Sports Commission is going to be inviting the dominoes fraternity to our Media and Public Relations event that we are going to be having in a couple of weeks so that they can learn the important techniques so that you can attract the right people to your event,” he said.
“If you don’t invite more people to your event your sport is not going to reach the kind of potential that we all want it to reach. So I’m sharing with you a vision, a vision for your sport, where you will be able to take it. And I want you to know that the Government of Guyana, the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport, the National Sports Commission and His Excellency, The President, is committed to building that frame work, that partnership, so that we can realize that vision,” Ramson Jnr., ended.
