This year’s Inter-Guiana Games (IGG) involving Guyana, French Guiana and host country Suriname is in jeopardy after Suriname’s Director of Sport, Gordon Tjouw Ngie Touw, indicated that the games have been postponed for a couple of weeks.
The IGG, traditionally staged on an annual basis was first held way back in 1967. However, after a five-year hiatus, a period that encompassed the COVID-19 pandemic, the games were rekindled last year by the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) government.
Last year’s games held on local soil featured over 400 athletes and coaches and saw participation in nine disciplines.
Ngie Touw says the staging of the event which was penciled for the October 26th–31st window will have to be postponed for at least a couple of weeks.
This development was communicated to his counterparts from Guyana and French Guiana, the other participants in the annual occurrence.
Suriname previously staged the 2017 edition, which was the last event before the five-year hiatus.
Ngie Touw disclosed that preparations for and the organization of the games had been affected by a lack of financial resources.
According to Ngie Touw, that forced the Executive Committee in charge of the organization of the event to postpone it by several weeks.
He apologized for the existing quandary and said that a formal letter from the country’s Sports Affairs, which will contain the new dates for the competition, will be dispatched to the relevant offices of Guyana and French Guiana once approval is granted by the Suriname government.
Meanwhile, Guyana’s Director of Sports, Steve Ninvalle, said, “The IGG in its present form (10 sport disciplines) is a huge undertaking. The postponement will disrupt some of our plans but we fully understand the circumstances. Based on the protocol of agreement between the nations, an inspection a month prior to the commencement of the event must occur. However, that has not been undertaken, which pushes the possible timeline further back for the staging of the games. We are simply awaiting official confirmation from our Surinamese counterparts on the way forward for the event,” Ninvalle said.
Ninvalle said that the subject minister Charles Ramson Jr., had been briefed of the latest development.
“Importantly, the Honourable Minister of Culture, Youth, and Sports, Charles Ramson Jr., has been fully briefed of the recent developments and the possible outcomes,” he said.
“The Ministry of Culture, Youth, and Sport, the National Sports Commission, and more profoundly, the Government of Guyana, remain committed to this traditional endeavor, which has fostered unity and cohesion amongst its participants,” Ninvalle declared.
The IGG not only showcases the future young athletes of the three countries, but it also serves as a cultural and educational platform. The IGG helps forge unity, trust and understanding among the peoples of The Guianas. Amongst the disciplines that are traditionally featured at the event are football, volleyball, basketball, cycling, swimming, track and field, chess, and badminton.
