DURING the 2019 National Budget Debates on Wednesday in the National Assembly, Minister of Social Cohesion with responsibility for Sport, Dr George Norton, revealed that the implementation of the National Sports Policy will be a priority in 2019.

Earlier this year, the policy was released in draft form and circulated among sports federations, organisations and online in a bid to garner feedback and recommendations.

However, the minister noted that come 2019, consultations and sensitisation initiatives will continue towards the continued growth and development of the sports sector. This will be done by way of programmes consisting of outreaches and the wider circulation of documents, including brochures, flyers and posters.

According to the minister, one of the main areas of focus is anti-doping.

He said; “The policy provides the basis for a structured pathway towards incentives, press coverage, international exposure and sports tourism, as well as issues of clean sport and anti-doping education. Guyana remains World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) compliant”.

After repeated calls for a National Sports Policy, something which had previously been dismissed as ‘not needed’, the Ministry finally drafted a Sports Policy. However, a lot of work is needed to produce an efficient and beneficial Policy geared towards the development of all athletes and the sports sector as a whole,

Once completed, the policy is expected to, among other things, address the structures, programmes and infrastructure required for recreational and high-performance sport and how best to facilitate and support the achievement of the sports objectives over the next ten years.