HUNDREDS of students, athletes, teachers and officials were yesterday morning reminded of the importance of fitness and exercise as Guyana joined the rest of the world in celebrating World Challenge Day.

Participants from 19 schools drawn from Houston to Timehri on the East Bank of Demerara, converged on the Guyana National Stadium, Providence, to participate in the activity, which is an annual undertaking by the National Sports Commission (NSC).
The activity, which was celebrated across the world, was aimed at introducing a new attitude towards active living by stimulating persons to break their daily routine and practise any kind of physical activity for at least 15 minutes per day.
Director of Sport within the NSC, Neil Kumar, in delivering remarks at the three-hour event, said it is the right of everyone to live a healthy lifestyle.
He said he was particularly pleased to see such a large number of young persons at yesterday’s activity, noting that for a country to remain healthy and productive, the importance of fitness and exercise must be instilled into persons from an early age.
Kumar later told Chronicle Sport, that the NSC and Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport would be working closely with the Ministries of Education and Health respectively to help fight the spread of non-communicable diseases in the school system.
He showered praise on the work of Ms King, saying she did an excellent job in taking the participants of yesterday’s event through their paces, adding that the displays done by the Guyana Police Force and the jump rope exercises were tremendous.
Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Sport Alfred King said Government is committed to having mass participation in sport, as is testimony by the numerous facilities it has constructed across the country.
“Aside from that, the administration is a strong advocate of healthy living, as it is a critical component of human, community and national development,” added King.
Similar World Challenge Day activities were held across the country where the participants were reminded of the importance of health and fitness.
As was the case in previous years, the participants were taken through the mandatory sessions of physical exercises by Genesis Express’ Noshavyah King and her able assistant, as well as popular fitness guru Curtis McKenzie.
After that, young students of School of the Nations wowed the audience with a jump rope display, an activity that was incorporated into Guyana’s World Challenge Day celebrations for the first time.
This was followed by a demonstration on the fundamentals of cricket by coaches Latchman Yadram and Daniel Richmond, a yoga session by Yadram, a dance piece by members of the National School of Dance, a boxing exhibition led by coach Wincel Thomas, and an acrobatic session by the Guyana Police Force, all of which were well received.