Government fully behind YBG Initiative

Jan 30, 2011 Sports

-Anthony says at yesterday’s launch

Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Dr. Frank Anthony stated that Government is fully behind the new Youth Basketball Guyana (YBG) Initiative given that it is a programme aimed at taking the sport to the next level and meaningfully engaging for youths.
Anthony was speaking at yesterday’s formal launch of YBG. “I am very confident that they will take basketball to the next level in this country. From the ministry’s perspective, we are pleased with this Initiative,” Anthony told the media and other stakeholders.
He said that the ministry has had an excellent relationship with Co-Founder of Street Solutions and Executive Officer of YBG, Chris Bowman. Street Solutions is the Organisation that planned and proposed the youth basketball initiative that was launched.
“I really think this is the next step forward to develop basketball.
I see this as a very good way of getting to not only the schools but also the communities to have young people involve,” Anthony said, adding that the programme is in line with the National Sports Policy and Plan.
“There is an obvious nexus between the programme and what we envisage in our plan, which has community sports and sports in schools as part of it,” he noted.
The minister revealed that $20M has been allocated for the development of multi-purpose facilities in schools across Guyana.
He said that YBG will benefit from the basketball courts that will be constructed as part of that programme to spread facilities to schools.
In giving the general background of the YBG Initiative, which has, apart from the National Sport Commission, the Haynes Foundation as a Partner, Bowman said that it was imperative to expand basketball to include youths since they are the future of the sport.
“Our mission is two-fold: The first part involves building an expansive structure for youth basketball by establishing a better link between grassroots and youth/school right up to the senior level competition.
The second very important connection is related to providing greater opportunities for our youngsters by promoting the value of education through the formation of well-rounded student-athletes,” was given as the mission of the programme.

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