By Clifton Ross

GUYANA’S present and future sportspersons are set to benefit tremendously, following the announcement made on Monday by Head of State, President Dr Irfaan Ali; who pledged the construction of 3 new multi-purpose mini sports stadiums in Regions 2, 6 and 10.
The country’s ever-developing sports economy, which had been patiently waiting for signs of future developmental plans outside of the city, got some good news recently as the President nominated Region 2 Pomeroon-Supenaam; Region 6 East Berbice/Corentyne and Region 10 Upper Demerara-Berbice as beneficiaries of the future project.

With most of the facilities being centralised within Region 4, a number of other top athletes, most notably, in cricket, athletics and those in the making, in the past have been forced to either relocate in order to maintain their training while others simply are less fortunate in that regard.
To this end $2.7B has been allocated for Culture, Youth and Sport, with $805.3M going directly towards the development of sports. More so, some $185M has been allocated for the National Sports Commission (NSC) to further speed up works on the synthetic tracks in Regions 6 and 10, as well as the purchase of sports gear and ground enhancements.

However, plans to erect three new all-purpose multiplexes outside of the Region 4 demographic could mean a tremendous boost for those out-of-towners.
Guyana’s premier brand of sport is cricket and with majority of the action again being kept within the confines of the city, having more sports complexes scattered across the regions is a brilliant way to unearth new talent for the booming Jaguars Academy; while providing the necessary atmosphere needed for the production of international cricketers.

This move not only provides a structured based for cricketers and soccer players to train and enhance their trades, but also cuts cost on accommodation as teams in the past have felt the brunt of poor housing woes.
For example, athletes in the past, especially for Nationals, have been known to travel and overlay to different districts in a bid to represent their own. Having these facilities could provide free, comfortable housing in the future should teams have to travel out of region for competitions.
Another huge plus is having a variety of venues to access for training and practice purposes, as it allows players to become more integrated with conditions outside of the regular, less state-of-the-art city venues.

These designated areas will also be expected to see a significant boost in the number of new athletes, as the facilities, once constructed, will be properly suited for the development of Guyana’s future sportsmen/women.
President Ali himself noted that the projects were geared towards ensuring Guyana’s future crop of talented athletes are put at the forefront of the government’s developmental plan, while unearthing new stars in the process.

Also, Guyana’s recent announcement about their upcoming international Golf and Country Club project, to be constructed in Mahaica; could improve the sporting landscape of the country and become 5-star with the addition of these new complexes; which will inevitably preserve the rich history while buffing Guyana’s reputation on the international sports scene going forward.