By Clifton Ross

DIRECTOR of Sport (DoS), Christopher Jones, said communication between the local sports associations and the National Sports Commission (NSC) is crucial with regard to athletes travelling abroad, adding that measures will be put in place to properly screen Guyana’s sportspersons.

Jones, in an exclusive with Chronicle Sport gave updates on the current situation surrounding the country’s curfew extension to June 17 which directly affects the local sports facilities as well as plans to help screen and protect the country’s top and upcoming sportsmen who are slowly being called back out to battle in the middle of the pandemic.
Regarding the local venues used to house sports events and such, Jones said those places will remain closed until rules are further relaxed. The country’s top sport venues such as the National Gymnasium, Colgrain Pool, National Racquet Centre, Cliff Anderson Sports Hall, the National Stadium among other popular facilities, have been closed and under quarantine for almost 3 months since the pandemic.

Jones said when the government commenced its mandate to have those facilities sterilised and kept under lock back in March, the process has been a continuous one which has been going smoothly thus far.

The DoS pointed out that every other day the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) workers have been ensuring that the facilities are properly fumigated with limited, restricted access to persons in and out of the relevant sites.

More importantly, with the floodgates of live sports seemingly on the open again with a number of regional and international tournaments set to recommence in the near future, Jones said it was important for the local sports associations to work along with the NSC in order to properly manage the welfare/health of its athletes, especially those who are international stars.

Guyana has been one of the main bread-baskets of sports over the past 7 years, with more and more Guyanese athletes across all sports making regional or/and international headlines.

From cricket, mainly, to athletics, local sportsmen and women have been doing their part in putting Guyana on the map with regard to sports and the director pointed out that it was for that very reason the various sport entities and the NSC needed to work closely, ensuring the well-being and health of Guyana’s top athletes amidst the pandemic.
“We will definitely have to put a system in place in order to screen our athletes, especially if they will be travelling to one of pandemic’s hotspots, to represent our country sometime in the future,” said Jones.

The NSC has gained the support of all the local sports bodies since the COVID-19 regulations took effect almost 3 months ago. Although the local scene has been quiet because of the lockdown, teamwork among NSC, parents of athletes, athletes themselves and their respective sports associations has been crucial in combating the spread of the virus as well as keeping the public heavily educated about the current state of things.

As such, Jones said this relationship needs to continue especially with the wheels turning again and Guyana being one of the Caribbean countries with a number of international sports figures, who are constantly overseas as ambassadors for their nation.
Regarding athletes travelling abroad in the future, communication between the entities is crucial as measures will need to be put in place, in order to allow that aspect of representation to flow smoothly again.

“If our athletes are travelling, we will need to have that detailed bit of information presented to the MOPH by the respective sports association. That’s why they (sports associations) and NSC will have to work together so we can ensure the safety of all our athletes and Guyanese alike going forward,” Jones ended.