Letter to the Sports Editor…Burnham’s GOG was last Government interested in Sports
Aug 03, 2017 , http://www.kaieteurnewsonline....nterested-in-sports/
Dear Editor,
A letter headlined ‘Amazed by operations of our Government and sporting authorities’ from a Mr. Robert Trim in the Sunday July 30th issue of the Kaieteur News caught my attention.
Mr. Trim highlighted three scenarios within the last month which amazed him that Government had little interest in Sports.
Mr. Trim said when Daniel Williams, the 400 meters Silver Medalist at the World Youth Games returned from Kenya no Sports Minister, no Director of Sports or no member of the GOA was present to welcome him.
Mr. Trim added, when Flyweight Boxer Keevin Allicock returned home with a Silver Medal from Commonwealth Games in Bahamas he suffered the same fate.
He also wrote about the wonderful welcome for Guyana Robotics team which played 10th at the World Robotics Championships and the Stabroek News editorial applauding their efforts.
But unlike Mr. Trim I am not amazed or even surprised with this Government apparent disinterest in Sports and those who represented this Country in Sports.
The Forbes Burnham PNC Government was the last Government to see sports, which transcends race, social status, political affiliation, promotes National Unity and help to reduce crime, as something important.
Under Burnham’s Presidency, if anyone was selected to represent Guyana in sports, they had to be given time-off regardless if they worked in Public or Private sector. There were the GUYSTAC and GUYMINE Games and every GUYSUCO Estate had proper sports facilities and cricket grounds. Once selected for your Country your Company would give you ‘special leave’ with full salary.
The PPP/C Government displayed the same cavalier attitude for sports and as someone who has a keen interest for Sports and passionate love for cricket, I wrote several articles in both the Stabroek News and Kaieteur News highlighting the lack of Governments’ interest for Sports.
This newspaper even published several photographs with a story I did on the deplorable condition of Government owned grounds under the previous Administration. Little has changed. The condition of the GCB practice facility at the GNIC ground on Woolford Avenue is a perfect example of a waste of space.
I represented this Country in sports and had a personal experience with the PPP/C’s Sports Minister when I was diagnosed with Brain Cancer and Clive Lloyd asked him to help, but that’s a long story and God saved my life without the Minister’s help.
The past Government built the Providence Stadium for the 2007 cricket World Cup and named the Stands Green, Red and Orange.
I wrote that the Media Center at Providence be named after Reds Perreira for his unmatched contribution as a Radio Commentator and sports Administer. He was even advisor to Sports Minister Shirley Field-Ridley but my articles were like throwing water on a duck’s back.
So after voting for the PPP in 1992, I voted for the Collation Government which promised change. I am contented with the standard of my personal life which has not changed much under both Governments. But I voted for change because of sports, in particular Cricket.
But most things in Guyana, included Sports, have remained the same or gotten worse …so much for change.
Mr. Trim, when our Championship winning 2016 U-19 World Cup players returned to the Caribbean they were greeted with motorcades but the Guyanese, including the Captain and his deputy, were meet by no Sports Minister, no Director of sport and no motorcade. The same happened when our Guyanese Girls returned from winning the ladies Cricket t20 World Cup.
When World ranked Boxer Clive Atwell suffered a brain injury fighting for Guyana and needed a corrective Brain Surgery overseas, I took him to Health Minister George Norton. After hearing his response I lost my temper and I am sorry for my behaviour that day but I was not surprised that he was removed as Minster.
At the National Awards ceremony (for the 2nd year) nobody from the Sports fraternity received an award, while three months into her term Sports Minister Nicolette Henry said she did want to spend the next four years defending the names I had suggested for the Providence Stadium.
I am aware that the Director of Sports Christopher Jones asked Mr. Ronald Austin (far older than I, very knowledgeable about cricket) for a list of names to send to Minister Henry and his list was almost the same as mine but the Sports Minister again shot down the idea of naming the stands.
During the last International series here, T&T’s Fazeer Mohammed said during TV commentary that Guyana is the only International cricket ground in the Region without names and joked that the powers that be must think that there is no outstanding Guyanese cricketer.
Maybe Minister Henry really thinks so.
The AG Basil Williams stated that the injunction preventing Cricket Board elections from being held had been quashed but it took a picketing exercise outside his office two days before for him to release that information to the public, which shows what Government thinks about the importance of Sports.
Reading letters like Mr. Trim’s hammers home the point that both Governments seem not to care about sports and that I wasted my vote thinking this Government would be any different from the last one when it comes to Sports in Guyana.
Respectfully yours,
Sean Devers.