PRESIDENT of the Guyana Amateur Swimming Association (GASA) Alex Graham made a plea for a warm-up/warm-down pool and got same following an announcement by President Bharrat Jagdeo yesterday.
The Head of State was at the time, delivering the feature address at the opening of the National Aquatic Centre at Liliendaal, where he told his audience which included Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport Dr Frank Anthony, Minister of Tourism Manniram Prashad, Guyana Olympic Association president K. Juman-Yassin among other special invitees, that the GASA would get the G$25M facility.
According to Graham who was one of the first persons to applaud the President’s announcement, GASA would be hosting a Goodwill Championship next year involving swimmers from Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana and another invited country and the warm-up/warm-down pool is an important facility towards the hosting of such meets.
“Like many other sport disciplines, swimmers need to undergo a warm-up/warm-down session so that they would not suffer cramps during and after a race and with there being one pool, it is difficult to have them do the warm-up and at the same time run off events on a timely manner,” stated Graham.
Next year’s Goodwill Championships will be used as a dress rehearsal to the CARIFTA Swimming Championships which will be hosted by Guyana in 2013, hence the increased importance of the warm-up/warm-down pool.
Graham said a spot to house the 25-metre long pool has already been identified and was shown to President Jagdeo, while he expressed his distinct pleasure at being present at the commissioning of the Aquatic Centre, since same has been eagerly anticipated by the swimming fraternity.
“Guyana, as we have said ad nauseam, is the land of many waters and many of our people, especially those who live in riverine communities, or who frequent our creeks and lakes, can swim like fishes.
“Such recreational swimming is good for our social life, our cultural life and also for eco-tourism. Competitive swimming, on the other hand, requires standing bodies of clear water held under strict conditions and controls,” said Graham.
He added, “GASA, is responsible, inter alia for “promoting and encouraging the development of swimming, masters swimming, open water swimming, diving, water polo and synchronised swimming throughout Guyana in accordance with the laws, rules and regulations of FINA (the International Swimming Federation) and acts as “… the governing body for all sport disciplines under the jurisdiction of FINA in Guyana.”
We have therefore been pleased to collaborate with the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport on the development of swimming in Guyana. Indeed, there has been a clear synergy between the Dr Anthony’s vision for the development of swimming and GASA’s Development Plans and current priorities.”
Graham said GASA has several ideas they wish to implement, following the completion of the Aquatic Centre and these include: (1) Improving the Marketing and Promotion of Swimming to Sponsors and potential athletes, (2) Establishing new clubs around the country, (3) Developing a Schools Programme in collaboration with MoE and GTU, (4) Establishing a Community Development Programme (5) Developing National Elite Training programme and Rolling out Signature events in 2012.
“While we have collaborated, access to adequate pools time has been the basis of tensions between our two sides repeatedly over the past year. This National Aquatic Centre therefore represents a serious reset of our efforts and collaboration.
In anticipation of this we have met with the Minister of Sport and the Director of Sport and have hammered out and agreed to a plan for the effective utilisation of the pool towards the further development of swimming in Guyana.
On behalf of GASA, I wish to make a pledge to Guyana that our officials, our coaches and our swimmers will make every effort to ensure that the investment in this facility is rewarded with ever-improving performances and an increase in the collection of medals so that the Golden Arrowhead will be raised on the deck of pools around the world.”