– Recognises sportsmen, women who emerged from township

THE Mayor and Town Council of Bartica have constructed a Wall of Honour in recognition of outstanding sports personalities from Bartica, Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni).
It has been constructed in the Bartica Community Center, which is now being transformed into a sports complex for the youths in the town. It is beautified with plants and a small fountain, decorated with lights.

According to Mayor Gifford Marshall, “This project, while honouring our people, is also aimed to be a motivational centrepiece for youths to strive for excellence in academics and sports. Further, active mobility is a critical objective of our Green Agenda. It allows for the promotion of healthy lifestyles in our communities. As a result, investment in facilities to accommodate such is important to the municipality. This can also be a tourist attraction, or a way of bringing awareness to the eminent names in sports that emerged from Bartica and Region Seven.”

He said that the indelible contributions of men and women to sports in Bartica must always be remembered, and their achievements must never be laid aside, but must be uplifted.
“For generations, past and those in future, we must recognise that sports contribute majorly to inspire standards, promote unity and demonstrate talent & skill. No matter the context or particular discipline, our sports personalities have carved a path for upcoming talent and have given to Barticians, especially the youth, the promise of possibility.

By excelling and gaining recognition locally, nationally and so forth. They have shown that it is possible for a Bartician sportsman or woman to achieve great things. The municipality of Bartica has chosen to honour 10 outstanding sports personalities, whose contributions reflect greatness. This wall of fame was created as a permanent reminder of how proud Bartica is of her achievements in sports and it will see the continued addition of names,” Marshall remarked.

The council, through the support of central government has made significant investments in the development of municipal playfields, parks and recreational areas, and the Bartica Sports Centre is one facility that bears testimony to this.
Over the past years, the council created a space that is suitable to foster development of multiple sports disciplines.
“Our vision isn’t limited, but as the council looks ahead, we envisage a super stadium complete with a synthetic track and seating to encourage township-wide participation in events. This vision will undoubtedly come to pass as our township continues to lead the charge in becoming Guyana’s model green town,” the mayor vaunted.
The wall bears the names of distinguished men and women who served the township of Bartica in their respective fields of expertise.
Thus far, some of the names that have been added are Neil Hernandez, Brian Tracey, Terrence Archer, Vibert De Freitas, Calmeth Younge, Christopher George, Mark Smith, and Dianne Ferreira-James, all of whom are renowned footballers who hailed from Bartica.

Hernandez’s name is etched ‘in memory of,’’ since he lost his life back in 2007. Some other names, for example Brian Tracey, was also imprinted ‘in memory of.’
The other names are Ivor Mendonca and Basil Singh. Mendonca was a cricketer and Singh, an umpire.

The mayor said that more names are to be added and more names will be added as the years go by, to continue encouraging the youths of the town to strive for excellence in everything that they do. To add to its beautification, the wall will be illuminated with decorative lights, and will also be enhanced with a landscape and water fountain.

Over the years, the council has embarked on several projects that have aided to the development and beautification of the town. What was once a small rural community is now a well developed ‘green’ town with many attractions. Since the election of the APNU+AFC government, and the reinstallation of local government, many areas in Guyana have seen significant improvements.

Mayor Marshall would often boast about where Bartica used to be, to where it is today. He said that there are many more projects earmarked, as the ‘Decade of Development’ has just begun.