Latest update May 3rd, 2026 12:45 AM
Jul 25, 2025 Sports
Kaieteur Sports – Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport and National Sports Commission have successfully launched the second edition of its Lifeguard Certification Programme. The initiative commenced yesterday at the National Racquet Centre in Georgetown, where more than 40 participants, drawn from various swim clubs across Guyana, took part in the classroom segment of the week-long training. The Canadian Lifesaving Society has been contracted to conduct the programme.
The sessions are being conducted by Sarah Newton and Tamara Wood of the Canadian Lifesaving Society. “This is a promise kept,” declared Director of Sport, Steve Ninvalle, referencing a commitment made by Minister Charles Ramson Jr. last year to not only continue the programme but also expand participation.

Director of Sport, Steve Ninvalle, along with some participants at the Lifeguard training and certification programme.
“We want to make sure that our waterways are safer in Guyana, and that is what we want. We want to make sure that our human capital is safe,” Ninvalle added, as he commended NSC Swim Coach Paul Mahaica for spearheading the Lifeguard Certification Programme.
Ninvalle emphasized that with Guyana’s ongoing development, particularly in the hospitality sector, the certification provides an opportunity for employment, especially within the growing hotel industry. “If this was anywhere else in the Caribbean, you would’ve had to be paying to have a Lifeguard Certification. But the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport has removed that (paying registration), just like we removed registration for the ‘Teach Them Young’ programme,” he noted.
He continued, “So, this is part of being caring, this is us investing in our human capital and wanting to see betterment, and we hope that you make sure that you become sponges.” Ninvalle also stated, “I am not the Minister, but I know how he thinks, and he will want to make this a continuous programme.”
Meanwhile, NSC Swim Coach Paul Mahaica highlighted the importance of having a structured and sustainable lifeguard programme.
He also underscored the need for coaches, especially those involved in swimming, to possess standard first aid certification. “We have over 40 people from the different clubs who are being trained currently in first aid and emergency first aid in swimming, and those persons are going to be added to those who were trained last year,” Mahaica explained.
The veteran coach also announced the relaunch of the National Lifeguard Association, an initiative aligned with the Ministry’s broader mission to enhance water safety across Guyana.
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
Your children are starving, and you giving away their food to an already fat pussycat.
May 03, 2026
Kaieteur Sports – Chase’s Academic Foundation delivered a commanding and unforgettable campaign in the 12th Annual Massy Distribution Secondary Schools Under-18 Football Tournament, capping it...May 03, 2026
(Kaieteur News) – The government has issued its invitations—Expressions of Interest, the document is being studied by those whose cup is already overflowing. These persons regard opportunity not as an entitlement. And yet, curiously absent are the men and women – the workers – whose labour...May 03, 2026
Territorial claims are decided in court, not worn on a lapel By Sir Ronald Sanders (Kaieteur News) – There are moments in international affairs when a seemingly small act reveals a much larger contest of principle. The recent controversy over the wearing, during official engagements in the...May 03, 2026
Hard Truths by GHK Lall (Kaieteur News) – Where there’s darkness, nervousness roams. Where there’s uncertainty, anxiety hovers. Increasingly vocal U.S. Ambassador to Guyana, Nicole Theriot has ventured with ‘investors need peace of mind.’ I salute this version of the American...Freedom of speech is our core value at Kaieteur News. If the letter/e-mail you sent was not published, and you believe that its contents were not libellous, let us know, please contact us by phone or email.
Feel free to send us your comments and/or criticisms.
Contact: 624-6456; 225-8452; 225-8458; 225-8463; 225-8465; 225-8473 or 225-8491.
Or by Email: glennlall2000@gmail.com / kaieteurnews@yahoo.com