Kumar urges youths to be discipline and educate themselves

Jan 08, 2012 Sports

Launching of U-16 Schools’ Football Academy

Guyana’s Director of Sports, Neil Kumar, has urged all youths not to engage in illicit activities as he highlighted the essential purpose of education and being disciplined at the launch of the Schools’ Football Academy in the presence of the parents, players and Coach Gordon Braithwaite.
The venue was at the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport Complex, Carifesta Avenue yesterday morning. Kumar stated, “You must be in school; I will not encourage youths to be playing sports only” to the small audience.

U-16 players engaging in drills at the launching of Schools’ Football Academy at Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport Complex, Carifesta Avenue yesterday morning.

With the National Sport Commission taking up the challenge to host and plan programmes for youths, which does not only involves football, the present main plan is to put together some nursery programmes in the Ministry since they have noticed that many clubs are not holding nurseries for football.
According to Kumar if they are no nurseries then there will be no reservoir for the senior players. Kumar used Alpha United as a typical example since it comprises of senior players only.
With Guyana taking up the culture of grooming youths in the sport of football at an early age it would mean that the prospect of the players being able to match their counterparts from the outer world would mean creating better opportunities for the players.
Braithwaite, a former Queens College student and National player, who was given a scholarship to Germany last year to develop his skills, was given the task to accumulate youths of which the Ministry will provide the necessaries for the programme.
With youth football only receiving one youth competition last year, Braithwaite thought that the launching of the U-16 Football Academy would be a plus for upcoming Guyanese players for the future and urged all youths to seize the golden opportunity.
Kumar concluded the brief launching by promising to host a Schools’ Football Tournament before the year ends once 12 schools can engage and play good football. (Juanita Hooper)