THE Guyana Olympic Association’s (GOA) Maximise the Sports Media Webinar is set for today, virtually on the Zoom platform, from 19:00hrs, and president Kalam Juman-Yassin, is encouraging all athletics, administrators and other officials, to participate. Scores of athletes and officials have so far registered for the event which the GOA president has been promoting as “very important, especially for athletes.” “The aim of this virtual seminar of Maximising Media is to enlighten our sports athletes about the importance of the media which takes the form on many fronts,” Yassin said in a release issued by the GOA. Aliann Pompey, Guyana’s four-time Olympian and Commonwealth Games 400m gold and silver medallist is expected to lead the panel discussion and presentation. Multiple award-winning sports journalist Rawle Toney of the National Communications Network and the Guyana Chronicle is among the facilitators. The panel also includes Ishaka Jackman, Social Media Consultant and ICT Manager.

After the brief opening word from Yassin, Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Charles Ramson Jr is scheduled to deliver an address to the participants. Meanwhile, Yassin is of the view that “as technology extends it is important to understand how it works and how to use it so as to develop each athlete’s branding.” The long-serving GOA head is encouraging every athlete and coach to register in order to benefit from exposure to the media. Meanwhile, Pompey, who also serves as the Pan Am Athletes Commission president, believes that “the state we’re in provides unique opportunities for us to fine-tune certain things, including how to effectively use social and news media to help us reach our athletic goals.” “The content is timely and presenters are nowledgeable. With the Olympics and qualifying events on the calendar for next year and our athletes looking to attract sponsorship and agents, this seminar aims to teach participants how to raise their visibility and market and brand themselves,” Pompey said.

Jackman, having worked with a number of professional sports teams, specifically in the area of social media management, said. “The opportunity is now at the fingertips of the athlete and association to influence their future. The vehicle is already available, come get your keys.” For Toney, a sports journalist for over 15 years and Sports News anchor, the timing is perfect, as he pointed to the fact that “being active in the realm of social media; using it as the avenue to build my brand, it is something as a journalist that our athletes don’t truly understand.” “With the Olympic Games about seven months away, we know that athletes will be making a push to qualify for the biggest sporting event globally, and allowing the public to know more about them is important, not just for their sake, but also for the GOA’s. So I think I would bring a unique understanding of the sports media for the participants, taking my years of experience into consideration and the fact that I’m well-travelled and fully understand the landscape of the sports media,” Toney added. Registration is ongoing and persons can use the link information below to register and may visit GOA’s Facebook page for further information. A certificate and a T-shirt will be provided to persons who register, log on and participate in the programme.