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Sport positioned as national priority with $6B allocation
Kaieteur Sports – Guyana’s sports sector continues its upward trajectory, with Finance Minister Dr. Ashni Singh announcing in the National Assembly yesterday that $6 billion has been allocated to sport in the 2026 National Budget under the administration of President Irfaan Ali.
Of the 2026 allocation, $1.3 billion has been earmarked for the maintenance and upgrade of grounds across the country.
Dr. Singh said that construction of Guyana’s first powerlifting and high-performance conditioning facility, along with a cricket academy at Albion, will commence this year.
Finance Minister Dr. Ashni Singh
The hinterland region, Dr. Singh highlighted, will also benefit from expanded coaching and training programmes designed to nurture and develop athletes’ talents in a move seen as part of a wider push to ensure that opportunities in sport reach communities beyond the traditional urban centres.
He added, “This year we will complete the Palmyra International Stadium, Anna Regina and McKenzie multi-purpose sports facilities, and the New Amsterdam Synthetic Track. We will also advance works on the Good Hope Cricket Academy, a boxing facility at Angoy’s Avenue, a chess facility at Providence Stadium, as well as multi-purpose halls across the country.”
Dr. Singh noted that the Government of Guyana will continue to invest in developing world-class facilities, employing professional coaching personnel, encouraging national and international athletes to provide mentorship, hosting and participating in national, regional and international sporting events, and creating a world-class market for sports tourism.
“Sports is big business and we are committed to providing the enabling environment for our young athletes to take advantage and grab these opportunities with both hands,” Dr. Singh asserted.
Since President Ali assumed office in 2020, budgetary allocations to the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport have climbed steadily, reflecting what many stakeholders describe as the most aggressive period of investment in sport in the nation’s history.
President Irfaan Ali
In 2020, the allocation to the Ministry stood at $805.3 million. One year later, that figure had nearly doubled to $1.5 billion, signalling the beginning of a sustained push toward infrastructural development, athlete preparation, and institutional strengthening.
The upward trend continued in 2022, when $2.4 billion was set aside for the sector. By 2023, the allocation surged to $4.3 billion, allowing for expanded work on community grounds, upgrades to major facilities, and increased support for national federations and associations.
In 2024, the figure rose again to $4.6 billion, before a landmark jump in 2025 delivered a remarkable $8 billion to the Ministry.
Collectively, those figures represent more than $27.6 billion invested in the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport under President Ali’s administration.
As the 2026 fiscal year approaches, attention will now turn to how the new allocation will be distributed and which flagship projects and programmes will take centre stage.
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