-shares plans for building sustainable sports ecosystem here

WHILE outlining some of government’s plans to establish a sustainable sports ecosystem, President, Dr Irfaan Ali on Wednesday said that the inaugural Global Super League T20 can position Guyana to be one of the premier sports and sports tourism destinations, globally.

President Ali was at the time delivering remarks before declaring the cricket tournament open. The match was played at the Providence Stadium.

President Ali explained that the new venture (GSLT20) transcends cricket for Guyana; it serves as a celebration of the nation’s culture and its people while also establishing Guyana as an “exciting destination” for sports tourism.

According to him, “This tournament is part of a wider picture of building the sports economy of our country in which cricket will be one of those global products that we will use to showcase our country, to showcase our culture and to have the best cricketing talent available globally.

Highlighting that the GSLT20 marks the start of an extraordinary and prosperous journey, President Ali further stated that the league will position Guyana prominently in the global sports arena.

President Ali encouraged the five participating teams — the Guyana Amazon Warriors; the Rangpur Riders from Bangladesh; the Lahore Qalandars from Pakistan; the Victorians from Australia and the Hampshire Hawks from the United Kingdom — to be competitive and to embody the sportsmanship inherent in the game. Additionally, he emphasised his hope that every player would appreciate and honour Guyana’s culture, values, respect, and passion for cricket.

“The love of cricket is bringing the world to Guyana, and we intend to showcase Guyana to the world through the eyes of cricket. You can be guaranteed of our government’s support,” President Ali said.

President Ali expressed his gratitude to ExxonMobil for its significant support and belief in a product that will contribute to the substantial development of the sports economy, as well as the transformative approach Guyana is taking to build various pillars of the economy for its citizens.

Meanwhile, President Ali during a cocktail mixer on the eve of the commencement of the tournament, said that while he is enthusiastic about the GSLT20 games, his optimism about the potential impact of sports in Guyana does not stop there.

Further, he said that his vision extends beyond this event, as he aims to organise similar initiatives for other sports.

According to the President, his objective in engaging in a conversation regarding the sporting ecosystem is to broaden the scope to include basketball and football, as well as to examine the possibility of incorporating international events such as mixed martial arts (MMA) combat and boxing.

Additionally, he stated that this is a critical component of the sports infrastructure and framework that “we” aspire to establish.

“In recognition of the commencement of this extensive sporting ecosystem that we aspire to establish in Guyana, I am optimistic about the possibility of bringing four of the world’s most renowned football organisations to play here in the near future,” he said,

The President also disclosed some of the plans for the years beyond 2027, with the objective being to establish a sustainable sports economy in Guyana.

Optimistic about the future for sports here, President Ali said: “From 2027 going forward, we have to get 12 main events in this country every year, mind-blowing events that will bring the world to Guyana. What I’m working on with the Cabinet is to bring the world to Guyana.”