C+ a serious condemnation

Feb 01, 2011 Sports

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By Rawle Welch

By Rawle Welch

Director of Sport Neil Kumar in his budget speech in the National Assembly recently disclosed that Government has allocated a whopping $747million as Capital Expenditure for Sport, adding that it clearly demonstrates Government’s commitment to its development.
According to the Director, the Government plans to develop facilities in all ten regions to add to those that have already been completed and those near completion, which would allow young athletes to hone their skills in their respective disciplines, unrestrained and fully able to utilise more advanced facilities.
Kumar said that out of that budget nearly $100 million has been allocated for the development of play fields in all ten regions, thus providing access to young persons desirous in getting involved in sports, be it on a recreational level or for a career.
These proclamations are all good for a nation that has suffered a staggering decline in its sporting achievements as compared with a few decades ago, and if those responsible for ensuring that the stated goals are attained act with the required fervour, then Guyana could very well be on its way to rediscovering the past glory that made us a regional powerhouse at one time.
The problem in the past with such pronouncements is that they never seem to materialise, and it is time that we hold these officials who are making such statements more accountable to attaining the targets they set.
Year after year, similar declarations are made, but in the end very little is achieved and our youths, who continue to make huge sacrifices in pursuit of bringing glory to this nation, are left to suffer due to acts of deceit and lack of will.
In many other parts of the region we see examples of Government’s unconditional support for sports, with Trinidad and Tobago and Jamaica in the forefront of such munificence.
The construction of sporting infrastructure to host international events is a vivid illustration of the movement from talk to genuine evidence of seriousness.
Just to give an instance of moving from chatter, the Jamaica Sports Development Foundation last year disbursed over $400 million to 43 sporting associations, and even though all would agree it was not enough, it confirmed a genuine commitment from the body to assist in the development of sport.
To take what the Director of Sport announced seriously, records of his entity’s support for sport among the various associations for 2010 should be made available.
If records of the Commission’s budgetary allocations to the respective disciplines cannot be supplied and verified, then all the talk of sports development goes out the window.
Just to confirm the above views, President of the Guyana Olympic Association (GOA), K.A. Juman Yassin, in his speech at the entity’s Appreciation and Awards Ceremony, rated the Government performance in sports at C+, a low grade for an Administration with the chief responsibility to lead in the development of sports.
Juman Yassin said that even when requested paperwork is submitted, little or nothing in some instances is forthcoming.
This is a serious condemnation from such a high profile organisation, and one suspects that from the negative feedback emanating from other sporting institutions, the general view seems to support the GOA’s observations.
“Things are happening and I want to give credit, but unfortunately, I wish to say that most sports associations in 2010 have not benefitted from Government,” Juman Yassin asserted.
Corporate Guyana continues to bear the burden for sports development across this nation, but even their input is insufficient to truly inject the kind of profusion that is needed right now.
Telecoms giant in Jamaica, LIME, recently made an infusion of $60 million over a 3-year period in primary schools football on the island, and to underscore its importance, CEO Chris Dehring in his remarks said that the Company sees the support as one for youth development rather that football development.
“The investment is indicative of our belief in the power of sports which could drive the personal development of young people,” he stressed. That was a poignant reminder to those who still fail to see the importance of sport in a country.
Entities such as Digicel, GT&T, Banks DIH, and DDL, to name a few, have played their part, though one could argue whether more could have been done, but in a country with such a small population – which ultimately restricts real tangible support combined with the economic hardships – it leaves the Government to absorb the shortfall.
A percentage of the funds accrued from Lotto should be made available for the sports fraternity if the talk of it being the vehicle for social and racial cohesion is to be taken seriously.
It could also ease the burden of Central Government having to divert critical funds into the sports arena, which instead could be used for other national development projects.
The Director’s speech was heard, we await the results.

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