Over to you Minister Ramson Jnr.
Minister of Sports Charles Ramson Jnr., is upbeat and rightly so.
Even as he celebrates what for him must be a satisfying 100 days in office, he is also acutely aware of the monumental task that awaits him.
“I am pretty pleased about how we have been able to drive our own programmes, develop our own culture and raise the profile of the ministry in a very short space of time. It is a ministry that is really showcasing itself and Guyanese talent,” Ramson Jnr., said recently, reflecting on his 100 days in office.
“What I am pleased about overall is the team, meaning the Cabinet and the President and the energy being driven into the government programmes. I am also pleased about ideas coming from the President and Cabinet and the aggressive way they are being advanced.”
Ramson Jnr. was correct in his assessment that there is still a lot more work to be done for after all; bringing some semblance of order to the existing sports landscape in Guyana is a marathon, certainly not a sprint.
In contrast to his predecessor Minister Ramson Jnr., has, as we have said, before started off on the right foot.
However, he needs to state what are the long and short term goals of his ministry.
Of course, sports for all, whereby the citizens of this country can recognize the importance of leading healthy lifestyles is a priority.
So too is providing facilities to assist the citizens who want to lead healthy, fulfilling lives and enjoy a bit of recreation after a hard day at the office.
Then there are the athletes who want to make a career out of sports be it at the amateur or professional level.
They too must be accommodated. In sitting down and talking with sports officials of the national associations/federations, the minister and his team must be guided by what is best for both parties, the citizens who just want to keep fit and the athletes who want to go all the way.
So while the minister is trying to get a grip on the many variables that affect sports in this country, this column would like to suggest two short term goals that the minister should tackle.
The first is amateur boxing.
While the ministry’s and the Guyana Boxing Association’s (GBA) long term goal should be a total overhaul of the existing boxing landscape and the erection of gyms that are not of the run down variety with facilities that are as old as they are rusted, in the short term, the aim should be next year’s Olympic Games in Tokyo, corona pandemic willing.
As such, we would like to suggest that the Minister of Sport and his team meet with representatives of the GBA, to iron out ways in which the four Olympic hopefuls can hopefully, qualify for Tokyo at next year’s Olympic Qualifiers.
Earlier this year the four Keevin Allicock, Colin Lewis, Desmond Amsterdam and Dennis Thomas underwent training in Cuba facilitated by the Guyana Olympic Association and the government.
However, the coronavirus pandemic affected the boxers’ [preparation as they were stranded for a couple of months in Cuba before finally returning home.
If any of the four boxers is to qualify for next year’s Olympic Games, the GBA, the Ministry of Sport and the GOA should be involved in charting a course for the boxers.
What should be discussed is funding for training, accessing top medical facilities and doctors, fitness trainers, nutrition experts and such like.
Unless we invest in our boxers heavily it is very unlikely that we will add to the lone bronze medal won by Michael Parris back in 1980. It is interesting to note that the last boxer from Guyana to qualify for the Olympics was John Douglas. Douglas participated at the 1996 Centennial Olympic Games in Atlanta, USA.
Another short term goal we would like to suggest is for the minister to meet with representatives of the Guyana Table Tennis Association, to discuss the national female team’s participation at next year’s World’s teams’ championships.
The national female team of Chelsea Edghill, Trenace Lowe, Natalie Cummings and Jody Ann Blake created history by becoming the first female team to qualify for the World’s, a tremendous achievement.
Of course, representing Guyana on the world stage will be no easy feat as the standard of table tennis in countries who will be participating, is very high.
One would like to think that in order for the female team to give a good account of itself, the team must be trained to the hilt.
One of the players Edghill, is taking the upcoming competition seriously playing professionally in Portugal as part of her training. However, it is expensive as unlike Guyana, Edghill has to have multiple racquets prepared so that in the event that one breaks during a match, she can use another which had already been tested as a replacement.
Again, access to medical facilities, proper fitness and nutrition and exposure to high levels of play will only help the Guyana TT female team give of their best at the upcoming World’s.
Not to mention the spin off effects which can see either Edghill or Lowe capturing the female Caribbean TT title, a feat not done since Carol Davidson in the 1970s.