Funding, Coaching, upgrading & managing facilities crucial for Sports Development- GASAs President

Aug 09, 2021 Sports

---

Kaieteur News –

By Sean Devers
Dwayne Scott, who was elected president of the Guyana Amateur Swimming Association (GASA), last year November, spoke about Guyanas swimmers performance in the Tokyo Olympics on last Wednesdays Sean Devers Sports watch on Kaieteur Radio.
The 44-year-old former National Hockey player posited that funding, coaching, upgrading & managing facilities are among the things that are crucial for Sports Development in Guyana.
The pair of swimmers, 15-year-old Aleka Persaud and 26-year-old Andrew Fowler, were among seven Athletes that represented Guyana in the Tokyo Olympics which concluded yesterday in Japan.
Despite Persauds personal best of 27.76s in womens 50m freestyle which set a new Guyana record, Guyana ended their 18th Olympics with still a single Medal; a bronze achieved by Boxer Mike Parris in 1980 Games in Moscow, 41 years ago.
Fowlers 55.23s finish in the Mens 100m freestyle failed to get him past the first round of the swimming Event.
However, Scott said taking all factors into consideration, he was proud of the efforts of both swimmers.
“I am extremely proud of the performances of both swimmers at the Tokyo games. A lot has set us back… the pandemic has really messed up our training schedule and preparations of not only our Olympic swimmers but of our swimmers have suffered from that,” Scott noted.
“Somehow, the authorities could not get their heads around the fact that we needed to get the athletes working again so that we could get preparations.
I guess because the world is at a standstill its only fair to say that everybody should be at a standstill even though our athletes are not necessarily exposed to the close proximity in their training and preparation these factors were not taken into consideration.
However, overall we are grateful for the opportunity and happy with what the athletes did at the Olympics Games,” the GASA Boss continued.
Scott revealed that GASA is currently in discussions with the GOA and Ministry of Culture, Youth & Sport and these discussions commenced even before the Olympics.
“We recognised the talent pool we have…we have a very gifted bunch of young athletes in the age range of 12-16 and all of them are showing great promise.
We do not want to lose momentum, we want funding, access to facilities, need Coaches developed. Its a 360 preparation, it cant be with one person or one group…its a total overhaul of a system that is required to make this work.
It goes beyond just money; it has to do with expertise. It has to with technical preparation and getting facilities upgraded and most importantly, managing the facilities because if you look at the Aquatic Centre its in disrepair and under maintained,” lamented Scott who took over the reins of Presidency in the middle of the Global pandemic.
“Even if we were to go to activity today…these things will set us back, there is so much to be done with the little resources that we have,” Scott added.
“I want to expand the sport beyond Georgetown and Linden, foster better working relations with the government and improve conditions at the Aquatic Centre.”
He indicated that he is hoping to get clubs outside of the capitol city the same training facilities as those in Georgetown.
Guyana is referred to as the land of many waters, many in the hinterland lean to swim before they could walk. When asked if GASA had plans for Open Water swimming Scott responded,
“We have just confirmed with FEBA to have an open water clinic in September. These clinics will allow Coaches to develop what they have to do for Open Water swimming competitions and then we have to reach out to the Hinterland…but not only the hinterland but to the 83,000 square miles of Guyana to recruit Athletes to come on board.
We have seen natural talent. Andrew Fowler started swimming at age 17 and to have accomplished what he has in the sport in such a short time; his early development came from open water swimming and so thats a testament of what can happen in remote places,” Scott noted.
He stressed that these are areas that exist that we know that we can tap into. Talent is out there once you have the resources to bring it in and figure out how to nurture it.
Scott also explained that funding was a major reason that prevented Jamila Sanmoogan and Fowler from participating in the last two qualifying tournaments in Puerto Rico and the Bahamas which ironically allowed Persaud to qualify as fastest female swimmer in Guyana thus replacing Sanmoogan who had been selected for her second Olympics.
“If we have state of the Art facilities here that would allow high level Coaches to come here to train our Coaches and Athletes which will be far less costly than sending them overseas, we could also host about three international events here and that will allow our young and aspiring Athletes to the top Regional and International level which could inspire them.
The Aliann Pompey Invitational and the Edison Jefford Classic meets are making that happen in a small way but for big international stars to come we have to upgrade our facilities or build new and better ones,” Scott reasoned.
He feels Cricket is a great example and that is why it has the biggest following in Guyana,
“Because you have first Class games here in addition to International and CPL matches…so you get to see the best cricketers in the world competing in your own back yard,” the Sports Administrator opined.
Scott said the junior Pan Am Games in December will be the start of the preparations for Persaud for the next Olympics.
“Of course Persaud and Guyanas top junior swimmer Leon Seaton will be there, but we have a number of young and talented swimmers, that if they get the proper funding, proper facilities to train, proper coaching and regular overseas international exposure, they have the talent but the other things are needed for them to be successful on the world stage.
It is said that it takes a Village to raise a child but it takes a Country to develop an Olympic Athlete,” Scott concluded.

---

---