Minister, NSC meets associations on sport policy, facilities

Jun 12, 2016 Sports

– Sport associations asked to come up with solutions

By Edison Jefford
Minister within the Ministry of Education with responsibility for Culture, Youth and

Minister within the Ministry of Education with responsibility for Culture, Youth and Sports, Dr. Nicolette Henry (seated, left) addressing the representatives from Sport Associations yesterday at the National Resource Centre; Director of Sport, Christopher Jones is at the podium while NSC Chairman, Ivan Persaud is seated right.

Sports, Dr. Nicolette Henry implored sport associations yesterday to come up with solutions to the problems that face sport and its development in Guyana.
The minister made the plea during her closing remarks of the second meeting that was held with sport associations to continue to develop their relationship with Government and refine the sports policy aimed at comprehensively addressing the progress of sports.
“We know what the problems are; I hear about the problems more than the solutions. We have to come up with what the next steps are; we have to come up with an evidence-based approach, and what we will do to advance our cause,” Henry said.
“I want us to focus on the solutions and opportunities that are available,” the minister indicated, adding that she is aware that things can happen to develop sports based on her interactions during the preparations for Guyana’s celebration of Independence.
Henry said that the Private Sector is “eager and engaged” and she was pleased with the support of that sector. “People were putting their monies where their mouths were,” she said, observing that the same can happen for sports with the right vision.
Director of Sport, Christopher Jones, who moderated the forum, told the gathering that

Heads and representatives of sport associations pay keen attention to Minister Henry yesterday during her closing remarks of their meeting.

National Sports Commission (NSC) is working with E-Governance to develop a data base of local athletes in all sport disciplines to serve as a primary source of information.
He said that associations will be contacted this week for information to input into the system that is a work in progress. Additionally, associations were expected to provide information yesterday to refine the draft National Sports Policy, following an initial meeting last December.
According to Jones, the NSC is pushing to have the Policy completed before the end of this year.
“We want to get a sense of challenges, and what we can do to alleviate some of those challenges. Our major objective is completing the Sports Policy,” Jones said.
The Director of Sport said that the lack of facilities dominated discussions at the meeting held at the National Resource Centre, Woolford Avenue. He informed that the current policy guiding the Community Ground Enhancement Fund needs to change.
“I am not pleased with some figures I have seen allocated to some grounds. If we continue we’ll be reinventing the same old wheel that kept sports behind for 23 years,” Jones stated, adding that he had recommended how the fund should be disbursed.
He indicated that he had suggested that the primary facilities within communities benefit from an allocation of $10 million, which would be reasonably sufficient for the requisite enhancement; as opposed to spreading meager that are inadequate to venues.
Jones is hoping that this aspect of sport development can be addressed as soon as possible so that Government can begin to measure real progress. The policy and development of facilities are key aspects of the overall advancement of sports in Guyana.

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