Letter to the Sports Editor… Pondering on the Director of Sports 2014 review

Jan 28, 2015 Sports

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Dear Editor,
I read with great interest in Kaieteur News a story dated January 8, 2015 with Mr. Neil Kumar, Director of Youth and Sport, captioned “IGG Performance, Aquatic Center among highlights of 2014”. After holding that post for 21 years Kumar indicated that in his lifetime he did not expect to see a Cricket Stadium and an Athletic Track in Guyana. I know since Kumar was a small boy, cricket has been Guyana’s number one sport; Athletics was always there, so when Kumar became Director of Youth and Sport in 1994, his first vision should have been for Guyana to have a Cricket Stadium and Athletic Track.
Basketball
I noticed in his basketball review of the Inter Guiana Games (IGG); Chris Bowman received lots of praise from Mr. Kumar; someone has to tell the Guyanese nation the truth for information purposes. The Guyana Amateur Basketball Federation executive was elected in January 2014 and sponsored two referees for participation in a FIBA Course in the Cayman Islands, namely Rawle Toney and Sherwin Henry, with Henry retaining his FIBA license.
The Federation also repaired the game clock and the shot clocks in the Sports Hall and also ran pipes for the 24 second clock so there is no more wrapping of wires when the shot clocks are being used. The Basketball Federation was also paying the National Sports Commission for use of the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall to train our basketball male and female National Squads to represent Guyana at the July 2014 Caribbean Championship in British Virgin Islands.
One of our female players Ms. Ginelle Ifill was spotted by scouts and got a full College Scholarship, also our Guyanese brother Mr. Patrick Haynes was elected to serve on FIBA Governance Commission with the support of the Guyana Basketball Federation; so Mr. Director of Sports stop being bias as it relates to the achievement of the basketball fraternity in Guyana.
The Director of Sports also spoke about upgrading facilities: when was the last time, persons on the National Sports Commission (NSC) visited the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall to see the pitiable conditions that our athletes have to endure:
1. Players changing their clothes in the toilet facilities in the back of the Sports Hall in view of the public because two of the change rooms are locked and used as storerooms. I am sure the NSC could find a storeroom so the venue could be used to benefit the athletes.
2. For the past two years only one bench is available for the basketball players, the one that is there needs replacing. I was in the Sports Hall when the Disciplined Forces 2014 Basketball Tournament was being played and one of the teams (GDF, Police, Prisons and Constabulary) was either standing or sitting on the floor on the side that did not have a bench, what a shame.
3. The officials table used for scoring is in a state of disrepair, sports journalists are well aware of this. The official entrance to the venue stands is being used as a store room on the side with the Car Park. Approximately ten Basketball Backboards are stored there when schools are in need of them, also balls are dry rotting in this area; schools such as Saints, North Georgetown and North
Ruimveldt among other schools are in need of basketballs. To top it off my Club (TGH Pacesetters) ran a fund raising tournament in 2013 where I had to actually beg for the venue; we were charged $400,000 for the first eight nights and $80,000 for the last two nights; why should Basketball suffer that faith, how is such high rental for the Sports Hall helping to develop basketball in Guyana.
I do not have a problem with School Basketball; as a matter of fact I ran several school tournaments without help from the NSC and before Chris Bowman mostly unsanctioned basketball activities. Tournaments funded by Guyana Secondary School Basketball Association, also school tournament under the Christopher Douglas Georgetown Amateur Basketball Association (GABA) that were all approved by the Late Col. McPherson, President of the Guyana Amateur Basketball Federation (GABF).
Now we have Chris Bowman and his Youth Basketball Guyana (YBG) group getting the Sports Hall free from the NSC; Bowman and the Director of Sports feel they don’t need sanctioning for basketball events and that is damaging the administration of basketball in Guyana. The National Federation is the head body of Basketball and approval should be sought as is done for other sports in Guyana and around the world.
I have nothing against Mr. Bowman or Mr. Neil Kumar but having a discriminatory Director of Sports is harmful to the development of Sports in Guyana.
The disrespect extends to Bowman’s YBG not seeking approval from the Ministry of Education and Allied Arts Unit to run the Titan Bowl School Tournament in December 2014.
Rugby
I read the sad story concerning the Rugby Players not being met at the airport and given a deserving welcome home after their victory in Mexico. Well it is unfortunate that our Director of Sports and the NSC has to be notified by the President of the Rugby Team that our team won a major championship, it is unbelievable that with the technology in the 21st century Kumar and his Ministry did not know just after the game that Guyana Rugby Team were the winners and planned a proper welcome for the guys who fully deserved it; because players left their families at home and abroad to represent this beautiful country. Mr. Kumar should not stoop to blaming Mr. Green for not informing him of the victory.
Boxing
I must congratulate President of the Guyana Boxing Association (GBA) Steve Ninvalle on his election to the executive body of the World Amateur International Boxing Association (AIBA).
Cycling
Hats off to Mr. Hassan Mohamed who has served with distinction for over two decades and I can attest to his hard work and dedication to the development of cycling in Guyana.
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Tennis
To the Tennis association and its hard working Executive, Coaches and Players -please continue to make Guyana proud.
To the Squash, Football, Hockey, Swimming Associations and players; let’s work hard together to bring full glory to our beloved Country.
I hope the Director of Sports will not continue to ignore upgrading the Burnham Basketball Court in Georgetown and also upgrade Vryman’s Erven Court in New Amsterdam and Retrieve Hard Court in Linden.
Keep Politics out of sports. I have been in the Basketball Fraternity for over 35 years. I know when the Sports Hall had over 100 white chairs for players, officials and the media; those chairs have disappeared.
Questions for Kumar: Was it the N.S.C. that gave the GABF two million dollars ($2,000,000) or was it the Office of The President? Which National Basketball Team was $3,000,000 given to? Did the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports give any funds to the GABF in 2014?
I must congratulate the GABF Executive for all that was accomplished in 2014 – their first year in office.
Congratulations to Mr. Michael Singh, President of the Georgetown Amateur Basketball Association (GABA) who worked hard to ensure an outstanding year for GABA.
I know 2015 is going to be a good year for Basketball. To the Basketball Clubs across Guyana all the best for 2015.
Yours in Sports,
  Mr. Dennis Clarke

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