… Tackling Sports Policy key criteria under new administration

By Clifton Ross

MINISTER of Culture, Youth & Sport, Charles Ramson Jr, has promised a bright future for athletes and media operatives as his new administration plans to holistically reshape sports, thus broadening Guyana’s spectrum for the future.

Yesterday’s media debriefing held at Duke Lodge in Kingston was the first of its kind in recent history as the recently appointed Sport Minister sought to familiarise himself with the senior core of Guyana’s sport media faction.

The highly interactive session touched on a wide range of topics, including those plaguing sports as well as endeavours, future objectives and short-term plans to reshape the totality of how sports is run in Guyana for the next few years going forward.

Meeting with Sports Associations

Minister Ramson, who grew up as an avid cricketer playing for the Georgetown Cricket Club (GCC), took off his ministerial cap, as he recently met with a number of local sport bodies to have an idea of the current state of things and potential progressive ways forward.

“I have to meet with more associations, because sports is not in good shape, it’s very disorganised,” said the minister who admitted that he had been trying to make assessments from the outside looking in, but his reality was confirmed following taking up his new post as Head of Sports in Guyana.

He stated that ‘talented persons’ are needed to take things into the international level and as such he plans to do a full assessment of sports and organisations while calling for those bodies to further share in the responsibility as it is now time for all stakeholders to be heavily involved in the affairs of the sports sector.

Minister Ramson also assured associations that no form of mistreatment will be handed out, referring to admittance by some about being treated unfairly in the past by the previous administration.

“Sports is not just a hobby or a pastime, it’s a business”

Regarding the current role of sports in Guyana, the minister believed that the evolution had already begun and had eclipsed being just a way to pass the time or just a fad for some. Rather, Ramson was firm on Sports playing a huge role in the business world here locally with the possibility of going international.

“Sports is not a hobby or a pastime it’s a business, it’s also an antisocial deterrent. Big money that comes from sports is sponsorships. We have to become an event-driven ministry. We need to have mass engagement and in order to change the trajectory of sports we have to give sponsorship avenues to local and overseas sponsors.”

Social Media was also identified by the minister as a key platform of boosting the level of sports locally. He believed that the government along with associations should team up and have a social media outlet where they can properly and transparently market themselves for sponsorship, but on a much larger scale.

SPORTS POLICY AND MORE CULTURAL INVOLVEMENT

With regard to the Sports Policy which has been on the table for a number of years under all the previous administrations, Minister Ramson was adamant that the policy was crucial and revealed that the draft will be shared in the near future with the media – something he said will help to make better decisions for the future of sports in Guyana.

Speaking on the other responsibilities of the ministry, Ramson said, “It’s not just sports we will be dealing with, it is culture, youth and sports. It’s a cross pollination of all sector heads, we want to tap into the cultural aspects along with sports. It’s a good fusion to create and one which will entertain Guyanese and help up appreciate each other and relish in our country’s diversity”.

SHORT-TERM GOALS

As for plans leading up to the weeks to come, the minister noted that he will have his hands full tackling a number of sports-related issues as he looks to fully get himself acquainted with what has been happening in Guyana’s sport world.

“We are in discussions with all sports associations to see how their facilities are and how they can be used in the best optimal way. We also want to examine which sports can and cannot be played amidst the pandemic,” he stated.

Minister Ramson further revealed that the identity of the new Director of Sport will be confirmed in the weeks to come as they are currently in the process of interviewing persons.

Plans to meet with media personnel at least twice a year in order to strengthen ties were also part of the new administration’s short-term policies.