BRAVING the rains early yesterday morning, several persons participated in the annual Dr. Cheddi Jagan fitness walk at the National Park. As they have done over the years, President Donald Ramotar and Prime Minister Samuel Hinds led the walk, and the steady rain did not dampen the high spirit among those gathered for the event.
Also participating were renowned athletes Alika Morgan and Alisha Fortune, physically challenged distance walker William France, and an individual who was visually impaired.
The walk is hosted annually by the People’s Progressive Party/Civic as part of activities to mark the death anniversary of the late leader, Dr. Cheddi Jagan, who was keen on fitness and was renowned for getting daily briefings from his government ministers as he walked around the National Park with them.
President Donald Ramotar, who himself would do his weekly fitness rounds at the National Park, and recently was the first person to complete a 3 mile walk ahead of his other CARICOM colleagues in neighbouring Suriname, in addressing the gathering after the the walk yesterday, stated, “It was Dr. Jagan who, when he first became Premier of British Guiana, took over the National Park which was then a golf course only for the elite in the country, and opened it to the general public for recreational and physical fitness activities.”
He stated that through the years the PPP/C was in government, it has always placed special emphasis on the physical well-being of citizens and, by extension, the development of sports in Guyana. This led to the creation of the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports during the period of the Janet Jagan Presidency after the 1997 elections.
He pledged his party and his government’s support for the continued development of sports in Guyana, which is an effective way of encouraging youths to stay away from drugs, among other benefits.