PRESIDENT David Granger believes that there should be more grassroots sports at the school and community level, while solidifying the Government of Guyana’s commitment at ensuring that his thoughts are brought to reality.

The President made the pronouncement during a courtesy call made by the returning contingent from the Caribbean Free Trade Association (CARIFTA) Games,at State House on Friday last.

Guyana finished the CARIFTA Games with eight medals (four gold, one silver and three bronze); a feat President Granger said all of Guyana should be proud of.

“The world of sport is very important particularly for young people” President Granger noted, while further adding “I always compare track and field with what happens in what used to be regarded as our prime sport; cricket. The only reason Guyana was able to rise so high in cricket and produce international greats… is because it had a broad base so by the time you reached the top you really had people of excellence.”

The Head of State continued “but when sports has a very narrow base you find that you do not get people consistently of international standard and I would like to express our Government’s commitment to ensuring that there is more grassroots sport in the schools and in the communities.”

The annual Upper Mazaruni District Games, which consists of several communities from the Hinterland coming together on their own and performing various types of sport over a week long stint every year, according to President Granger, is a perfect example of how working together could foster growth in sports at the grassroots level.

“We have 1,000 athletes from 10 or 12 villages just having fun, but what I am saying is right there in the hinterland you see people coming out and doing something, which I have never seen on the coasts…. I have never seen 10 villages raising their own money,walking great distances to live together for a full week having fun, playing sport and I believe that if we have that type of camaraderie on the coast we would see … young people coming together playing sport and interacting with each other and having good fun. I believe that as the years go by the standard of sport will raise and will rise” the President said.

President Granger believes that the achievements of the CARIFTA Games athletes should be celebrated by all Guyanese, and echoed his Government’s fullest support at ensuring that their exploit is either repeated or amplified at future regional and international events.