HAVING achieved the aim to further strengthen sports within the school’s curriculum, the Board of Governors for the Camp Road-based Queen’s College (QC) yesterday turned the sod and received a cheque for G$1.5M, towards the construction of a new pavilion.At the same time, Director of Sport within the National Sports Commission (NSC) Neil Kumar told his audience which included NSC Chairman and Chairman of the QC Board of Governors Conrad Plummer and Director Frank De Abreu, his vision for the school having a multi-purpose hard court.

“I want to congratulate you on this day which is a special one for you. I also wish to congratulate the staff and teachers of this institution, for making this house tournament looking so good,” stated Kumar.
He added, “The fact that you are so geared in your uniform and the fact that this ground is in such a condition, send a strong message. I want to put a challenge to QC, particularly those persons whom you have around you that are fully cognisant of the fact that QC has produced some of the best brains in the world.
Kumar cited the synergies forged between the Government, Corporate citizens, QC’s Old Students Association and the Board of Governors, who can all come together and ensure the ground and school have better facilities.
He informed the gathering, which also included WWE Superstar Ezekiel Jackson, of Minister of Sport Dr Frank Anthony’s contribution of G$3M on behalf of the Government, towards the construction of the pavilion, with the aim to start developing the school’s compound.
The cost to construct the pavilion is G$14M, of which the QC Parent Teachers Association and the QC Old Students Association (New York) Chapter donated G$1M each and QCOSA (Worldwide) G$2M, which together with the MCYS and De Sinco’s donation, leave the body needing G$5.5M more.
“I would like to see a multi-purpose court, where you can play basketball, volleyball, netball and lawn tennis and I would like to see the pavilion come along with the dorms, while I wish you lots of fun for today and it is my intention to see you participate at the Guyana Teachers Union championships and dominate,” stated Kumar.
In his brief remarks before Human Resources Director of De Sinco Trading, Alicia De Abreu, handed over her Company’s donation, Plummer reminded the students, who were gathered for the march past to commence the annual Inter-House athletics competition, of the glory days when QC travelled the Caribbean and competed.
“The new pavilion would be part of a structured sports programme that we hope to introduce within the school for all disciplines and hopefully by the time the pavilion reaches stage two, we should have enough accommodation, to accommodate teams who can be invited to compete against QC.
“In the past, QC actually toured Trinidad and Barbados every three years, to participate in all sports, with Harrison College in Barbados being the third school – I think – and we want to reactivate that. Locally, we had a strong programme with St Stanislaus and Berbice High School and we want to go back to the future,” posited Plummer.
He said the aim is not only to develop sports in QC, but Guyana as a whole, while expressing his gratitude to the sponsors who would have contributed towards the first phase of the project, while he extended an invitation to other businesses to get on board with the project.
Following the presentation of the cheque, Kumar took the march past from the 10 competing houses who were colourfully dressed in their respective house colours, before declaring the day’s event open.