Latest update February 6th, 2025 7:27 AM
‘Not enough is being done at the E/Ruimveldt Community ground’ says CGMC V/Chairman
By Sean Devers
East Ruimveldt CGMC’s objective is to host the Georgetown Cricket Association’s (GCA) second division Cricket matches involving East Ruimveldt’s Ace Warriors but the promise to build a pitch on the East Ruimveldt Community ground by the National Sports Commission (NSC) is being viewed by residents in the Community as an empty promise.
The grass at the East Ruimveldt ground is very high.
The CGMC, a Committee which helps to maintain the state owned ground, would also like to host matches in the School’s Football tournament, but while the East Ruimveldt ground is larger than City grounds like GYO, MYO and GNIC and has a pair of Goals on the ground, the venue is in an unplayable condition.
CGMC Vice Chairman Ms. Jennifer Pile is one of the residents of East Ruimveldt who feels not enough is being done by the NSC and Mayor and City Council (MCC) to properly prepare the venue.
Ms. Pile explained that work was done on the ground by Director of Sports Christopher Jones and Minister of Social Cohesion with responsibility for Sports Dr. George Norton last year but no follow-up or the promised building of a cricket pitch was done.
When contacted, Jones, the shadow sports Minister when the PPP/C was in power, said that a pitch is planned for the ground adding he would send someone to cut the grass which has grown into bushes, especially close to the fences which was over a feet in height and the surface is in a sluggish condition when this Newspaper visited the venue during the past week.
According to the residents those promises by Jones are yet to be fulfilled.
The play area is under water which also gets on the court in the rainy season.
The roads in the area need repairs and residents are calling on the authorities to do some work in the East Ruimveldt (California Square) area.
Ace Warriors is the only competitive cricket team in South Georgetown and Ms. Pile said it was disappointing that there ground is a big ground in East Ruimveldt and the team has no ground to practice on.
“Ace Warriors received a bag with some gears from the Director of Sports a while ago, while the Mayor of Georgetown Ubraj Narine, elected to the position last year November, recently paid a visit to the ground,” the Vice-Chairman disclosed.
The Mayor had told the residents that they must be given services that do not compromise expediency. Businesses must thrive and young people provided with opportunities for their talents. His deputy is Alfred Mentore, a former Guyana U-19 cricketer.
The residents are calling on the City Council to come and do some projects at the facility as a project and the Community must be involved and encouraged to help.
One of the 13 members of the CGMC said that because those in ‘East’ are aware of large amounts of funding provided to Contractors to do the same work that the residents can do, they are reluctant to volunteer their services but would still help out in maintaining the venue.
He added that many times their Committee, which oversees the State owned ground, is not informed when work at the facility is being done and just see people working on the ground.
Councilor for West and East Ruimveldt, Tricia Richards, played a part in getting a grass cutter for the ground but this cannot cut the big bushes explained another CGMC member.
About 10 years ago an overseas Volunteer group worked along with the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) to construct a plastic slide for the Children in the Community, while a tiny pavilion sits just outside the playing area.
There is an Basketball Court (where the cricketers are forced to practice) while the City Council provided two rooms in a building at the venue, which accommodated a Library and a Computer Centre.
According Ms. Pile the Rooms are now unoccupied and is asking the relevant authorities for use of one of the rooms for their meetings.
Another CGMC member used his own funds and got a few sponsors to set up a mini recreational Park between the well paved two-lane Street from the ‘East and West’ Bridge over the canal linking the two wards near the ground.
That is the best Street to the ground, while the Street leading to the ground from Mandela Avenue (Back Road) was recently paved.
However, the others Streets to the ground are in a deplorable condition and are impassable when it rains heavily.
The residents of East and West Ruimveldt are predominantly supporters of the APNU Party and are calling on government to look and give assistance to the area.
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