MINISTER of Culture, Youth and Sport, Charles Ramson Jr, has indicated the Ministry will be working on ensuring the coaches who are facilitating the “finessing” of the Elite Athletes are upskilled to the level of Elite Coaches.

The Minister made this announcement while speaking at the inaugural Sport Conference on Saturday last at the National Cultural Centre.
The coaching will form a key component to the Elite Training Programme of the Sport Academy which is built on three pillars: Nursey, Tournaments and Elite Training.

“What is important for you to understand is that this requires Elite Coaching, Elite Coaching is key here”, the Minister asserted.
“You are not going to be able to get in most instances and probably all instances, your nursery coaches or organisers to be your Elite Coaches.”
The Minister indicated Elite Coaches in some cases will have to come from the players who are already successful in a particular or the coaches will come from overseas.

Minister Ramson has also engaged with a number of Foreign Diplomats in order to get support for either the training of the Elite Coaches or for the Elite Coaches to come to Guyana and be part of the programme for that period.

“Upskilling is also an important part for our coaches and for that period when the Elite Training programme is undertaken, the Sport Associations and Federations have to appreciate this is a very serious part of how we are going to transform talent into that world-class talent.”

The Sport Academy is not a building but rather a programme and the nursery will attract persons from ages 12 – 25. The core disciplines who will be given at least $1M to host tournaments annually, will then see their best players be placed into Elite Training Programmes.

Such programmes will be for a prolonged period (probably six-eight weeks) and the athletes will be given stipends to offsets any expenses, as to allow their full dedication to the programme.

The 12 core sports identified by the Ministry are Squash, Track and Field, Cricket, Hockey, Basketball, Volleyball, Football, Lawn Tennis, Rugby, Badminton, Swimming and Table Tennis.

Minister Ramson Jr. clarified that there is room for other sports to be added in the future.

“This is serious business. The Sport Academy is not about playing sport only and it’s very important that we notice that. This is the basis on which we move forward, and it’s something that must happen”, the Minister stated at the conference.