Sports Ministry donates gear to Mahdia community

Mar 04, 2009 Sports

Parliamentary Secretary with in the Ministry of Culture Youth and Sports, Steve Ninvalle, made a presentation of sports equipment on the ministry’s behalf during a visit to the Mahdia community last weekend.

Ninvalle handed over a number of boxing gears inclusive of head guards, boots, gloves, speedball, mouth guards and cups, along with some chess sets. Last year the ministry presented cricket gear.

Businessman Roger Hinds (2nd left) receives the boxing gear from PS Steve Ninvalle, while looking on are sports promoter Feroze ‘Beeks’ Mootoo (2nd right with Shades) and Police Inspector Godfrey Williams.

Ninvalle urged that the community to create an active Mahdia Youth and Sports entity to which all present at the presentation agreed.

Area businessman Roger Hinds collected the gear in the presence of sports promoter Feroze ‘Beeks’ Mootoo and Police Inspector Godfrey Williams. The trio along with Regional Health Officer Carl Amsterdam and businesswoman Amanda Solomon of Amanda’s One Stop Shop has been identified as possible members of the committee. Hinds has already identified a plot of land where a youth and sport centre is to be built but said that he is awaiting word from the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission.

He is also willing to employ a boxing coach for the area. Director of Sport Neil Kumar has promised a tennis table for the community which will be handed over to Hinds sometime this week.

A community centre was constructed in the area and was previously used as a school, but since the construction of a school in the area, efforts are being made to access the centre for use by the youngsters in the area.

‘Beeks’ Mootoo told Kaieteur Sport that they are hopeful of having the sports committee installed by this month end and to have a structured programme of activities. They will focus on mainly indoor games and boxing, but education will also play a part in their long term activities.

He disclosed that there are over 300 children within the Mahdia and Campbelltown area and they (the concerned members of the committee) want to see them occupied in sports activity in a structured way.

Currently only football and cricket are played there and the receipt of the chess and boxing gear along with the impending acquisition of the table tennis equipment, will aid in the staging of more indoor programmes.

Mootoo disclosed that he is in the process of organising an Inter-Block football tournament set for March 14 and 15 at the Mahdia ground.

All systems are in place for the staging of the event and the winner will collect $100,000, second place $55,000 and third $20,000 along with trophies.