Fourth Annual Scotiabank/Pepsi Schools Football Academy launched
Members of the head table at yesterday’s Scotiabank/Pepsi Schools Football Academy. From left are: GSDF committee member Brenda Harmon, DDL Marketing executive Sharda Vereen-Chand, GFF president Christopher Matthias,
Members of the head table at yesterday’s Scotiabank/Pepsi Schools Football Academy. From left are: GSDF committee member Brenda Harmon, DDL Marketing executive Sharda Vereen-Chand, GFF president Christopher Matthias,

… Minister Anthony wants PE to be compulsory in school system

THE 4th Annual Scotiabank/Pepsi Schools Football Academy, organised by the Guyana Sports Development Foundation (GSDF) of the United States of America, was launched yesterday in the Oasis Room of the Pegasus Hotel.
In delivering the feature address, Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Dr Frank Anthony, urged the relevant stakeholders to make Physical Education (PE) compulsory in all schools.
Dr Anthony said if parents and teachers do not inculcate in the children, the importance of proper diet and exercise “we’ll have problems down the line, as without a healthy diet and exercise, children can become obese and this will have tremendous problems later in their lives.
The sports minister congratulated the GSDF for its initiative and for the work the organisers have been doing for the development of football especially. “You can see that they have not only been talking, but working.”
He said it is easy for one to stage tournaments, but a holistic approach is needed, adding that sports brings about a cohesive society and it can bring more dividends.
Minister Anthony stressed that sports is a big business and persons can make big money, but cautioned that one has to perform at an elite level and to do that one has to make a lot of investment “and young people need to think about it as sports can also be used to advance one’s education,” Dr Anthony stressed.
The minister said there needs to be a balance with sports and academics for one to become a rounded individual.
President of the GSDF, John Yates, in his remarks informed that his organisation is a charitable one that was registered in Florida, USA, but has an office in Guyana.
Yates informed that the Scotiabank/Pepsi Academy has its genesis in 2007 with one of its members, Colin Baker, developing ties with the Guyana Football Federation.
He said Baker was very much concerned about the lack of schools football in Guyana and decided to do something about it, but the major problem was finance to do what the foundation wanted to do.
Yates said contact was made with the Ministry of Education as well as other entities and the idea was put to Scotiabank who bought into it and through Scotiabank, Demerara Distillers Limited (DDL) came on board.
The first academy started in 2011 with six schools, but the following year that number jumped to 12. Last year the figure moved to 18 schools and this year, there will be 24 schools participating.
The academy is set to get under way on February 10 with a referee training programme for Physical Education teachers, while at the same time, the Football Coaches Association will assign coaches to the various schools.
A four-month league will subsequently be contested between the participating schools, after which, a national league will be contested.
Yates said the GSDF plans to promote a stronger relationship between schools and the Parent-Teacher Association of the respective schools, since parents need to get involved.
The academy, Yates said, will cater for children between the ages of 10 and 17 including females, since by including females, there will be greater female participation in football locally.
Speaking on behalf of Scotiabank, Jennifer Cipriani said her organisation is delighted to be involved in the academy which to her is a trailblazer.
She stressed the need for the country’s youths to be rounded individuals and said one way of achieving this is for the youths to take in their education and at the same time to get involved in sports.
She thanked DDL and the GFF for partnering with Scotiabank.
DDL’s representative Sharda Vereen-Chand said Pepsi is happy to be on board and said that when the GSDF approached the company they decided to buy it as it fits directly into their philosophy.
DDL, she noted, has seen the programme getting better every year.
Chief Education Officer in the Ministry of Education, Olato Sam, said when the academy started four years ago, his ministry did not have a structured plan and there were no female football programme in the schools, but since then his ministry has been able to achieve this.
He said the Ministry engaged the GFF as well as the Ministry of Sport and had fruitful discussions.
“Football will be played throughout the academic year,” Sam declared, adding “we at the Ministry as well as the Ministry of Sport are putting structures in place and we have developed a database for players and will keep track of the players’ development.

(By Michael DaSilva)

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