Letter to the Sports Editor

Dec 17, 2020 Sports

Ramson is wrong

Dear Editor,

As we approach Christmas I find some time to slow down a bit from my usual routine and read some social media posts, mostly the hilarious type.
The Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports has an interesting logo attached to its press releases however, the content of two recent releases cannot be considered appropriate as they lack clarity and comes over as childish. One reporter and social commentator even suggested that an English teacher be employed by the ministry.
I follow Sports in General and am no politician but thinks generally the current government, given some time, would do well for the benefit of the Guyanese people. On the other hand it must be understood, especially by Mr. Ramson, that sporting organizations must maintain their autonomy for some simple reasons. One of those being, to ensure that as governments change and political parties of different persuasions come to power, the policies of sporting organizations, answering to international umbrella bodies for proper regulation and administration, are not caught up in the toxic political environment, especially as we experience here in Guyana.
It has now become clear that Minister Ramson intends to exert pressure on Sports organizations in Guyana to go through him for approval of events, or at least he can authorize events as he sees fit. I stand corrected to the interpretations as the releases, from the ministry, are not clear enough.
It is important to note that the government of Guyana through different administrations, never paid subventions to sports Associations/Federations nor have they paid athletes, in any discipline. In countries, such as Trinidad, where sports is a lucrative business and associations are financed by the government, autonomy of their sport entities is preserved.
In one missive, the minister seems to be seeking to educate Guyanese on the meaning of the words “advisable” and “required”. While we can all look the words up in the dictionary, most athletes would Google it; it is alarming that the contents of that particular release seem petty. Mr. Ramson, if President Irfan Alli advised that you report to him in Leonora at 3:00am in the morning, the word “advise” in the Oxford dictionary would have a different meaning.
I took some time to reflect, unlike some, before penning this letter, hoping to come up with an excuse for Mr. Ramson’s sudden releases in the matter of approval of sports events.
Does it have to do with his pending sports policy? Do we now have to apply to the minister, instead of GFF to play a football game? Would the Minister be receiving every athlete with a complaint against his sporting body? Would the minister seek to grant approval to every breakaway group to host events? Only one word describes where we are heading, CHAOS!
We must not let ego and dictatorial tendencies cloud our judgment. We must be cognizant that sporting bodies must be neutral, not be used for political paybacks.
It is the same old nonsense all over again, we must not forget the fiasco of the cricket administration act. But then again, the cricket administrators are quiet. Why? Have they accepted the bullying? Let’s hear your voices.
Yours Sincerely,
Rafzia Shaheed.

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