Hunte impressed with female talent in Lethem

Sep 23, 2008 Sports

More emphasis to be placed in outlying communities – Ninvalle

Dennis Hunte

By Rawle Welch
Football Coach attached to the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport Dennis ‘Chow’ Hunte journeyed back to Georgetown recently after spending ten days in the Lethem Community conducting coaching clinics for residents.

Hunte, who also had the opportunity to witness the Ministry of Culture Central Rupununi Heritage Month Football Competition, shared his experience with Kaieteur Sport, during an interview via telephone yesterday.

The veteran Coach, who has filled this capacity for the past 20 years with large success at the junior level coaching Pele, said that his stint in Lethem was an overwhelming occurrence and one which afforded him the opportunity to witness many things for the first time since his involvement in the sport.

“It was there that for the first time I saw women come to the venue with their children, tie up hammocks and get on the field and play football,” Hunte disclosed.

Another first for Hunte came when he saw a pregnant woman displaying sound football skills, dribbling and executing a lot of trickery with the ball much to his astonishment.

“It just shows that if more strident efforts are made to get coaches in those areas, Guyana will not be struggling to get female players to attend regional and international competitions.”

He said more emphasis must be placed by those in authority to get into those communities and provide the opportunities for the players who demonstrate that they possess the talent to progress in the sport.

“Imagine in Georgetown we struggle to put together one female team and in one single tournament in that community you can get six or more teams easily,” Hunte stated.

The easy-going Hunte issued an urgent plea to the authorities to get more coaches in the outlying areas to detect and develop players with natural abilities so that they can advance their careers in the sport.

He added that football is a very popular sport in the Rupununi and if given the support could become the mecca for female football in Guyana.

“I feel we should try to get players from Georgetown, Berbice and Linden in Lethem at least once a year to hold a tournament because it can help enhance the development of the sport among females.”

Though much emphasis was placed on the ability of the women, Hunte informed that the men as well displayed sound technical skills and they also should not be overlooked, citing the success of national Emerick Williams, who is a product from that community.

Meanwhile, Parliamentary Secretary Steve Ninvalle, who was also part of the team that visited the area, said that they were surprised to see the strong interest shown by women in the community in the sport, adding that it just emphasises the point made by Minister Dr. Frank Anthony when he called for sports to be decentralised and more support given to sportsmen and women in the other regions.

“It clearly underlines the fact that more focus must be placed in those areas and we will be continuing our efforts to get the relevant personnel into those communities to support this view,” Ninvalle mentioned.

Hunte is scheduled to visit the New Opportunity Corps shortly to conduct similar sessions, while Ninvalle promised follow-up clinics in the near future.

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