PRESIDENT Donald Ramotar’s first major speech to the sport fraternity was indeed comprehensive and clearly demonstrated that he has a profound understanding of the role of Sport for the further development of Guyana. His Excellency’s well researched and brilliantly delivered speech at the Georgetown Club, climaxed with the words “our athletes deserve to have greater opportunities available to them so that they could shine in that glorious galaxy that we call sport”.
President Ramotar said that sports play a very important role in the development of Guyana. He was quick to call for improved training for athletes and better access to first class facilities in which to master their skills.
The PPP/C as a caring and responsible Government with great respect for our sportsmen and sportswomen spent $747M on capital works for sports last year while in 1992, the last year of the PNC Government, a mere $14M was allocated to sport.
Today, Guyana boasts of a national stadium that has already hosted highly successful international cricket, international football, international hockey and international rugby tournaments. We also now have an Olympic-size swimming pool and we can look to the near future for the day when this land of many waters produces world-class swimmers who will win gold medals at the Olympics.
Another first for Guyana is the construction of a State-of-the-Art synthetic athletic track.  We are confident that Guyana will produce our own Guyanese Usain Bolt. Today, our National Sports Hall and Gymnasium are better equipped to host highly successful international events.  Our Racquet Centre is certainly a proud venue for our lawn tennis and squash players.
President Ramotar assured us that his Government is serious about improving our sport facilities and improving the skills of our athletes as he pledged his unflinching support to sports. Further, he went on to say that we cannot continue to have our cyclists competing only on asphalted and grass surfaces. For them to enter the big league we have to look towards the building of a cycling velodrome.
The President made reference to the growth in softball cricket and hinted at the possible establishment of new facilities to accommodate this growth. He mentioned that our hockey players need improved turfs and our rugby players need more international exposure.
While our basketball and volleyball disciplines need more and better facilities; our motor racing, fraternity received tremendous assistance with a better and improved facility at the South Dakota Circuit. He also called for more input into horse racing, chess, badminton and karate, as they are also developing. Football will have a better and more exciting facility at Leonora in the near future.
The President called for a new and appropriate model for the further development of sports in Guyana in which the Government must partner with Sports Associations/Federations. The Government is willing to provide access to land along with some capital to boost valuable projects to be undertaken by sports associations/federations.
Guyana cannot have weak, divided, inept and unaccountable sport Associations/Federations.  Sports will only suffer with such executives at the helm.  The Guyana Government must not sit idly by and see sports decline in our country.
Sport is too important for national development. Through sports we are able to develop and improve our inter-personal relationships, discipline and teamwork in our youths, students and citizens in general.
Physical activities, as we know, promote good health.  Certain board games have also been found to develop mental skills and improve academic performance. As such, on a mass level sports can benefit the public’s physical and mental health.
Sporting activities are also helpful in bringing people together, thereby breaking down barriers of race and class while fostering greater social cohesion and integration.
It has unlimited economic benefits too; the hosting of one major international event generated a great deal of economic activity. After an analysis of the social and economic benefits of Sports the Government of Guyana is determined to make Sports an Integral part of the National Development Strategy.