Transformation of UG must include sports

Jun 07, 2015 Sports

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By Edison Jefford
The inclusion of sports in an imminent transformation of the University of Guyana (UG) will give further

insight into where the phenomena fall as a priority for this new Government, and how they perceive its development in terms of sport culture and policy.
Minister of Education with responsibility for sport, Dr. Rupert Roopnaraine placed his career and credibility on the line recently when he stated that if UG does not become a “thriving” institution in five years, “I would have considered that I would have failed”.
The Minister went on to mention several areas of the University that needs to be addressed if it is to become an international institution, stating that the nation’s highest tertiary establishment must be “prioritised” for funding, notwithstanding its limitations.
Unfortunately, sport was not isolated among the issues at the University that need to be addressed. Now that sport and education share the same ministry, it is expected that both get similar attention as it relates to holistic and national vision for their development.
In fact, a successful sport programme at the tertiary institution will give a good impression of how serious this new administration is about sports; the success of the University in sport will certainly be a reflection of a thriving academic institution.
At least it is that way at leading academic institutions across the world, and with Dr. Roopnaraine committing to getting UG on par with regional Universities, there is no doubt that that should also include a similar

vision for the development of sports.
Again, with a move to include sport within the Ministry of Education, it is expected that both will be given equal prominence. It is hoped that this hand-in-glove situation will result in development for both phenomena. The discussions on the development of education should also include similar postures toward the future of sports.
There will be occasion where the isolation of concepts, sport and education will be necessary, but in this current underdeveloped situation, both ought to co-exist in discussions on development, so that the institution of sport and education can benefit simultaneously.
The Sports Officer at the University of Guyana, Lavern Fraser-Thomas, can certainly use all the institutional assistance and policy decisions to augment what has basically been a lot of grassroots work since she took over that portfolio at the University.
Fraser-Thomas has tons of experience in Sport Administration, serving as President of the Netball Association and Vice-President at the Georgetown Football Association among other posts within the national sports framework. What she has done at UG without proper institutional backing was enough to give her the 2014 ‘Female Sports Personality Award’.
However, Fraser-Thomas was unjustifiably overlooked. She began the development of the current sports

programme at the University basically with the establishment of what have now become formidable football basketball, cricket, athletics and rugby teams.
Its basketball team, UG Trojans has a quality group of players that if properly harnessed can be an intimidating force nationally. Its rugby team has won titles, while its athletic team travelled to two international meets and returned with medals.
The point is Fraser-Thomas has made the University competitive in sport, but institutional support will allow her to become much more effective with her administration. This discussion must be an integral part of the impending transformation of the University.
The University must move to establish a fully functional Sports Department as opposed to merely a Sports Officer, who solely shoulders the burden of managing the University’s sport activities, as well as its recreational activities. A Sports Department will give Fraser-Thomas staff that she can manage to implement an Inter-Faculty Sports Programme.
In other words, while the University has teams that reflect the combination of its Faculties, there is need for an Inter-Faculty Programme with each Faculty forming teams in the respective sports disciplines and hosting independent events to select representatives. This will ensure the longevity of the University’s Sport Programme and widen its resource base.
The structure will give rise to Inter-Faculty competition from which the best will be selected to represent the University. Such a programme needs institutional support. Vincent Alexander tried to move in this direction when he was at the University, but his solo efforts were ignored. There must be a concerted administrative effort to resuscitate sport.
The University of Guyana Students’ Society, of which a former 800m national schools champion, Joshua Griffith is President, should work with Fraser-Thomas in lobbying to have this as part of a policy at the University. Griffith has to invoke his passion for sports.
The policy has to include the development of facilities at the University’s Turkeyen Campus. The previous Government missed an opportunity to show that they were serious about sport when they decided to construct the Synthetic Track and Field Facility at Leonora, as opposed to maximising the use of the massive land space that is available west of UG’s entrance.
This same space can be developed to include cricket, track and field, football and rugby facilities. This should have been part of the $900 million that the previous Government claimed it spent on the development of grounds across Guyana.
In addition, the tarmac, which was once a famous basketball court, must be reclaimed for exactly that purpose. It is used as a parking lot on Campus currently. The gym must be part of this project to develop sport facilities on campus. The University of Guyana must serve as a crystallisation for the concept of the ‘student-athlete’.
Currently, the athletic careers of many otherwise gifted academics dissipate after entering tertiary education at the University. This brings into focus the need for sport to become part of curriculum at UG as part of a policy where credits are awarded for participation, and more so, performance in sports.
As a point of reference, UG presently has national basketball player, Akeem Kanhai among some other national junior players as students. National distance runner, Cleveland Forde and sprint ace Elton Bollers are all students of the University.
These athletes should have gotten scholarships to the University where their tuition was paid and the credits awarded for their contribution to sports. They have represented Guyana and their entry to UG should have been on an ‘elite student-athlete’ basis.
Notwithstanding, there was a commitment from the new Minister of Education, Dr. Roopnaraine to “pay particular attention to the University”. Fraser-Thomas and Griffith should join forces and ensure that sport gets some of that attention at the University of Guyana.

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