MSC executive face members/community Saturday afternoon at MSC Lounge

Nov 03, 2022 Sports

Serious concerns linger on as government claims ownership of facility

Kaieteur News – The Mackenzie Sports Club (MSC) will on Saturday hold a general members meeting at the MSC Lounge from 4.00PM.

That meeting at the headquarters of the oldest sports institution in Linden is highly anticipated following the recent announcement by Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport Charles Ramson that the club has become the property of the government.

According to Sport Minister Ramson, who met with the MSC executives on Tuesday 11, October, in Linden, the National Industrial Company Inc. Limited (NICIL) transferred it to the Government of Guyana in April this year.

However, several members and former members both local and overseas have commented on this development stating that the Club was a gift to the Club and the community.

Ramson said that, the MSC, which was identified as one of three to be financed by Government to be multipurpose facilities across Guyana, and would become one like the National Stadium on completion, having the capacity to hold international cricket and football in keeping with the International Cricket Council (ICC) and world governing football body FIFA.

In fact, the sport minister said for government to acquire a grant from the Chinese Government to build a new structure, government had to show ownership; hence seemingly the announcement that around April this year the facility was handed over to government by NICIL.

However, members and residents are not comfortable with this since it could mean the removal of control of the club by its executive and members.

The fear therefore is rife and this meeting will see members and by extension the community seeking clarification on what such a development means.

Executives are concerned that the fact is that the MSC was always a multipurpose facility, unlike any other club in Guyana, even as they support the plans by government is welcomed.

The meeting is to be chaired by MSC President Avery Trim and General Secretary Joseph Chapman, and while the transfer matter is key among the issues at hand, the functions of the club moving forward is high on what has caused anxiety among the community at large.

The MSC executives have unanimously stated that they are welcoming any development by government since it is in keeping with what the bauxite industry did to support its existence through the years knowing the benefits which come to the residents of Linden.

However, when the announcement was made that government had now become owners some executives were shocked and questioned Ramson about this, but the sport minister said that the facility was always one under government control through the bauxite industry and then NICIL.

Interestingly, the MSC has not entered any written agreement with the government since the talks began in 2020 about the facility being upgraded to international standards. To date no written correspondence was ever communicated to the club, although over that period the club had written for information about the plans of government.

Additionally, no drawings have been seen by the MSC, outside a brief pictorial view which was not specific to relate to what ideas the government has to develop the facility at large and this is upsetting to the MSC.

But the government has promised and maintained that when the drawings are available the MSC will have a chance to make an input to its final plan, but some executives feel by that time it would not make much sense.

Under the circumstances, the MSC according to some executives, may eventually have to seek legal advice.

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