.. believes more outreach projects needed in communities

By Clifton Ross  

THE Haledino Sports Initiative recently received immense support from the Guyana Police Force (GPF) via Assistant Commissioner  Clifton Hicken, who was in full support of the project which is geared towards reducing crime and creating employment; through sports.

The brainchild of the project, Cadet Officer of the Guyana Prison Service (GPS) Klalifa Hale, during an update with Chronicle Sport on Thursday, said the recent talks with Assistant Commissioner Hicken, bore positive results due to the blueprint of the project which is formulated in a way to ensure that players in every community are inevitably involved in sports and are paid for their talents.

While the project has been gaining momentum and support from a number of premier athletes, businesses and regular sponsors of Guyanese sports since its birth almost 2 months ago. The plan is to have interested persons adopt community teams for the purpose to managing, maintaining and providing income to those players/team on a semi-professional, semi-franchise level.

The senior police officer according to Hale, supported the idea due to its overwhelming focus on reducing crime, promoting proprietorship, creating more community and neighborhood teams, spreading the awareness of sports and education and most importantly; creating an avenue for players to earn money while engaging in sports on a semi-professional level.

Assistant Commissioner Hicken, who is an avid lover of sports, has been heavily involved in such sports-oriented outreach programs over the years; even serving as president of the Guyana Football Association (GFA) back in 2015.

Hale stated that Mr. Hicken, was happy to lend any support to the project and believes that it is a good way to stem the flow of negativity in communities by using sports and a means of income; as premier tools for success. The Assistant Commissioner also lauded the ingenuity of the plan, adding that more outreach drives such as this is needed for the self-development of communities.

Meanwhile, Hale said he has so far been gaining massive support from football dominant communities such as; Albouystown, North East, South Ruimveldt Gardens, which has a number of potential investors lined up to take control and ownership of whichever community team is in need of adoption.