Latest update January 18th, 2025 7:00 AM
ExxonMobil, Government partner to enhance Vigilance Sports Ground
By Rawle Toney
Kaieteur News – Global oil and gas corporation giant, ExxonMobil (Guyana), has partnered with the Government of Guyana to enhance the Vigilance Sports Ground.
The facility, which is also the home of the Buxton Youth Developers, an organisation headed by Robin Phillips, also saw an upgrade to its Centre, which houses a library, classrooms, gym and computer lab.
ExxonMobil Production Manager, Mike Ryan, lauded Phillips for sticking to the club’s motto of promoting friendship and Influencing change since its establishment in 2007.
“You should be very proud of what you’re building. It’s not only the infrastructure on the ground on which you’re building, but to empower the youths and student-athletes,” Ryan said.
The Buxton Youth Developers group, behind the renowned Phillips, has produced some of the country’s top young talents, the most recent being Ezekiel Newton.
President Irfaan Ali and ExxonMobil Production Manager, Mike Ryan, along with some athletes from the Buxton Youth Development group.
“When I went through school and University, I was a student-athlete. The combination of sport and learning creates a combination that allows you to grow, flourish and be empowered,” Ryan noted, as he stated ExxonMobil Guyana’s pride of lending a hand in helping to sustain the club.
Meanwhile, President Irfaan Ali said ExxonMobil has been playing a key role in the development of sports, “Whether it’s from the Cricket Carnival, community sporting event; Exxon has been very consistent with their sponsorship and that is something that the local corporation and private sector, has to get more involve in…more community development, community work, especially sports development.”
“Most of the major international sports talent came out of corporate-driven sponsored events, so I think this is very critical, greater partnership between the Government and the Private Sector, so we’re looking forward to this (more partnership),” President Ali said.
President Ali also threw his Government’s support behind Newton, one of Guyana’s budding sprinters.
The 17-year-old competed in the 100m and 200m athlete, in São Paulo, Brazil, at the South American U-18 Championships, where he won silver in the boys’ 200m, clocking a personal-best time of 21.45s.
Newton, who hails from the East Coast Demerara village of Bareroot, also won the sprint double at the just-concluded Inter Guiana Games (IGG) and won the 100m title at National School’s Championship, where he also set a new U18 100m record.
President Ali said it was important for Government to remove all the hurdles standing in the way of athletes and to allow them to focus on achieving their goals.
The Head-of-State promised Newton that his Administration, is fully behind his endeavour and ready to cater to his needs as a student-athlete.
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