The role of sports in the development of a nation

Jul 18, 2016 Letters

Dear Editor;
In the years preceding 1966, more sports and cultural activities were held regularly in the Africa Guyanese villages. In the communities of Paradise /Bachelors Adventure there were four cricket clubs namely United Cricket Club, Zenith CC, Caracas CC, Paradise CC.
The grounds on which these teams played are now taken over by housing schemes. Today the only cricket club is the Paradise /Bachelors Adventure Cricket Club with a larger youth population to satisfy coming out of Bareroot, Paradise Housing Scheme, Bachelors Adventure, HYMAC housing scheme, and Melanie Damishana.
I have noted with keen interest the attitude of the past and present government to sports and cultural development and wish to advise that greater sums be allocated in the national budget, but without sports and cultural policies, the sports and cultural tourism industry will never achieve its true potential. Emphasis must first of all be placed on the fencing of community playfields and the development of playing surfaces for cricket, football, hockey etc, indoor facilities in rural and urban communities.
Every school in Guyana must have access to a well kept playfield. We can start by looking at the Jamaican model and see that sports and cultural development starts in schools.
Parents in the country must begin to realize that sports and culture play a very important role in the positive development of children’s characters.
They must understand that purchasing of sports gear is as important as buying books for the children.
The grounds men (curators) across the country are treated as unimportant by an uncaring society. These curators must be respected and organized to understand their responsibilities as the foundation for outdoor sports.
They must be trained, paid properly and their jobs made pensionable. This is the only way to retain them and their skills to encourage growth and development. There is need for more coaches to be attached to the many schools across Guyana.
We need more nutritionists, physiotherapists, psychologists etc, to work with our boys and girls. With well organized sports and cultural activities, boys will stay in school and excel. Our young people need opportunities.
Guyanese NGOs in the diaspora and the churches in this country have a role in promoting the industry, the spiritual and material development must go hand in hand if we are going to survive.
RAS Aaron Blackman

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