By Stephan Sookram
A BOLD new move by the National Sports Commission (NSC) to establish a national database for athletes and associations could result in major spin-off benefits for athletes and associations.

The NSC is in the process of building the database and weighing the option of having it kept and updated internally, as against outsourcing the work and essentially just providing the information needed to keep the database updated.
According to Director of Sport Christopher Jones, he has received a proposal from one local company to build and upkeep the database with another proposal expected to be submitted in the new week
“One of the submissions I’ve gotten so far is that this company is actually taking it a step further. Outside of having the database in terms of the information for the athletes, they will have information from the associations and clubs and federations that will aid them in promoting their respective disciplines,” said Jones.
He noted that this particular company (which was not named) can send out messages informing the public of upcoming events and even provide in- game updates as well as athlete-by-athlete statistics during games and even a brief history on said athlete.
However, this feature would be reliant on the associations providing information on their athletes.

Athletes Rehabilitation
Another spin-off effect of the database being in place is assistance from the government for the rehabilitation of athletes who suffer injuries during associations-sanctioned tournaments or national duty.
According to Jones, the NSC is working on a partnership with the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) to assist in the offsetting of medical expenses of those athletes who are injured.
“This has to be twinned with the Ministry of Health to have a collaborative effort, so that in the event that these athletes that we have within this database gets an injury, that the Ministry of Health is there to take care of the needs of that individual,” contended the director.
He stated that the associations too have to do their part in ensuring that their strategic plans cover the long-term development of athletes, including insurance to ensure that they are properly rehabilitated.
“What happens when an athlete gets injured, what role does the association play and all of that we are hoping that they can submit to us, so we can know that they are looking to the future (of athletes),”adumbrated the director.
He used the example of boxer Clive “The Punisher” Atwell who had suffered a twisted ankle during a recent boxing card saying, “We note that the SOP (Standard Operating Procedure) should be that insurance for example before someone steps into the ring should be taken out for that individual. Currently, Mr. Atwell is in the process of seeking assistance from the government to offset his expenses.”

Scholarship and Academic Enhancements
The third benefit of the database being a reality according to Jones would be to ensure that young athletes have the chance to get an academic life as well, in an attempt to develop well-rounded individuals capable of functioning off the field as well.
This, Jones noted, is already in the pipeline and will include the obvious help of the Ministry of Education, adding that “We would want to have in that database all of the athletes that we have on register, their achievements and so forth.
“For example, if a young athlete started out at age 13, five years from now he/she obtains the age of 18 and they are ready to pursue their education, then the Ministry of Education can provide for them a scholarship to attend the University of Guyana,” said the director.
He noted that if the NSC’s plan as it relates to athletes but was quick to point out that, “of course, the associations and the federations, which are essentially the frontline people that deal with the athletes, those are some of the plans we want to see coming from them, not only tournaments.”