The undermining of Guyana’s school sports tradition

Mar 13, 2025 Letters

Dear Editor

After nine years as a student athlete, thirty (30) years as a Physical Education and Sports teacher, and a teacher athlete, I now find myself absent from these hijacked Nationals. With absolute dismay, I express my outrage at the blatant destruction of what has been an integral part of Guyanese culture. For decades, school sports have been held in the first term, allowing athletes to train adequately while teachers and districts plan well in advance.

By June, championship dates are already set. Yet, in September, we were abruptly informed that sports would be rescheduled to facilitate Guyanese career games selection. Why is the destruction of our culture so important to those in power? This year, there was no primary school championship, leaving young athletes who have been preparing diligently without an opportunity to compete.

The reasoning? The career games do not cater for that age group. This logic is flawed and short-sighted. Even the uniforms worn by some teams now reflect American basketball culture, with names like Lakers, Boston Celtics, and Rockets, further eroding our national identity.

This decision blatantly disregards the development of grass root athletics in our country. The January-to-April school term is already packed with critical activities, including Marshall Manning competitions, the National Grade Six Assessment, and the start of CSEC exams practicals. Many of these athletes who would be competing at Nationals are the same ones participating in Marshall Manning competitions.

Additionally, the teachers best suited to accompany these athletes are those specialized in Physical Education, Sports, Home Economics, and other technical subjects, will be under immense pressure to complete grading and submissions of SBA grades. Why are we once again sidelining athletes’ motivation for the sake of optics? Forcing students and parents to choose between participating in Marshall Manning, school sports, or focusing solely on academics, reflects a lack of vision and respect for our cultural traditions. This decision weakens our national celebrations, stifles young talent, and shrinks the pool of athletes available for career selection.

Where in the world are athletes developed only in their teams? Athletic growth must begin at a young age, and disrupting this system will have lasting consequences. The national school’s athletic swimming and cycling championships must be restored. The athletic association of Guyana, AAG, must take full responsibility for organizing corrective trials and selecting the team. The Ministry of Education should not be overstepping its role in this process. In government, we will ensure that this wrong is corrected immediately. I thank you.

Sincerely

Hon. Nima Flue-Bess, MP

Shadow Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport

(The undermining of Guyana’s school sports tradition)

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Championship, CSEC exams, National Grade Six Assessment, nationals, student athlete

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