– Believes Maraiko Bay Golf Club could lift Guyana to international levels

THE Guyana Golf Association (GGA) endured a tough year but managed to tick their boxes with plans to tip the scale even further, despite not knowing what 2021 will bring forth.

It was a Covid-19 riddled year for sports but, somehow, sports managed to regain its grip on the wheel. Coupled with measures, guidelines and eventual permission by the Covid-19 Task Force, Guyana managed to carefully re-enter live action sports on a carefully monitored scale.

Capitalising on this brief passage of normalcy, GGA president, Aleem Hussain, described 2020 as a phenomenal year, one in which they successfully managed to roll with the punches.

“Despite the challenges faced in 2020, we were able to do things that were planned and exceeded our goals set for the year. And it will only get better in 2021.Guyana will be home to no less than five golf courses in the next few years and will become a Golf Tourism destination, one of the highest sports tourism revenue generators”.
Regarding the development of the internationally designed Maraiko Bay Golf & Country Club, which will be located in Mahaica, Hussain believes that when the project is completed, it will totally reshape Guyana’s image to the international world with regard to golf.

With a full course 18-hole Professional Golf Association (PGA) modeled course with Greens spanning some 7,800 yards across the course, Guyana could focus on possibly hosting its first PGA game in history.

NexGen Golf Academy, which falls under the GGA, also recently signed a big deal with Copa Airlines, one of the premier airlines in the region, who are equally keen on the development of golf among women and children.
Meanwhile, Hussain thanked the long list of sponsors, players and staff who had worked aggressively during the pandemic to ensure that mandates were met.

“The attention that the sport attracts worldwide allows us to plan for events and tournaments that, if televised, can help to market Guyana, its opportunities and resources to an audience that spends the most in terms of travel, so it will boost tourism in ways beyond our imagination,” he ended. (Clifton Ross)