Where is Sports in Guyana’s Election conversation?

Jul 16, 2025 Sports

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Hear Me Out

By Rawle Toney

Kaieteur Sports – As Guyana heads full steam into General Elections on September 1, the streets are once again painted with political colours, the air thick with promises, and the campaign trail buzzing with issues, from oil and gas to healthcare, education, infrastructure, and the cost of living.

But, where is sports in all of this?

Seven political parties are set to contest the upcoming polls, and while nearly every sphere of national life has taken center stage in stump speeches and social media broadcasts, sports has, once again, been left on the sidelines.

It’s the same tired playbook…vague mentions of “youth empowerment” or a photo-op with a local athlete, then nothing. No bold plans. No detailed manifestos. No real commitment to the thousands of Guyanese athletes who continue to grind, sweat, and dream, often for little or nothing in return.

For far too long, sports have been a convenient talking point during the good times and a disposable afterthought during election cycles. We’ve normalized it. And that has to stop.

Sport is not a luxury, it is a legitimate career path, a tool of national pride, a builder of discipline and leadership, and a multibillion-dollar global industry.

In Guyana, we’ve seen how sports can unify communities, elevate national pride, and even provide an escape from poverty. So why is it not treated with the urgency and investment it deserves?

Some will argue, “There are more important things to address right now than sports.” To those people, I say it’s that very thinking that stunts the growth of sports and limits the potential of our youth.

You can’t applaud our athletes when they win medals, fly our flag overseas, or become symbols of hope, only to pretend they don’t matter during elections.

You can’t celebrate their success while ignoring the systems needed to support that success.

And let’s not pretend we don’t have examples.

Since taking office in 2020, the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) has overseen an unprecedented G$21.61 billion investment in sports.

The Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport, led by Minister Charles Ramson Jr., grew from a modest $805.3 million budget in 2020 to an all-time high of $8 billion in 2025.

Those numbers are historic. But with that kind of money poured into the sector, the scrutiny must match the scale.

What tangible transformation have we seen? Are facilities improving across the regions? Are athletes receiving sustainable funding?

Has there been a long-term plan to professionalize sports in Guyana? Where is the long-promised national sports policy, a critical piece of legislation that was part of the PPP/C’s last campaign pledge, yet remains missing five years later?

To be fair, President Irfaan Ali has consistently engaged with sports associations, federations, and athletes, more than many of his predecessors.

Those engagements have produced real benefits. Athletes and associations have received support. Promises were made, and in some cases, delivered.

But Guyanese sports need more than presidential goodwill, it needs structure. It needs policy. It needs a system that outlives government terms and personalities.

The ruling party will, and should, be judged on its record. But I’m even more curious about the plans from the other six parties.

What do they see for Guyana’s sporting future? Are they willing to outline how athletes can make a livable wage? Do they believe in building a sports economy? Will they invest in coaching, infrastructure, talent identification, and education? Do they have a clear plan, or is sports just an afterthought on page 37 of a manifesto?

We must hold all politicians accountable. Not just for the goals they scored, but the chances they squandered.

Our athletes deserve more than handshakes and hampers. They deserve access to funding, world-class facilities, career development, and healthcare. They deserve a country that sees their worth beyond medals and media clout.

The same way we discuss oil revenues, job creation, education reform, and public health, we must talk about sports.

It’s time for political parties to explain where they stand on the issue.

The Sports Media should be asking contesting parties, what is your plan for youth and community sports? How will you professionalize athletics and support sports as a career? What’s the long-term vision for Guyana on the international sporting stage?

I, for one, am excited at the thought of sports finally entering the political arena, not just as entertainment, but as an essential national issue.

Because at the end of the day, athletes are workers too. They’re fathers, mothers, sons, daughters; citizens chasing the same dream as every sugar worker, oil rig technician, and civil servant, which is to live a life of dignity, purpose, and pride in One Guyana, and let’s start treating them like it.

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• General Elections, No bold plans, Rawle Toney, Sports in Guyana, Youth empowerment

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