FOR its 2024 budget, Guyana has allocated $4.6 billion towards sports development to elevate athletes’ performance and enhance sports infrastructure countrywide.
Key initiatives include constructing multi-purpose facilities in Regions One, Three, Seven, Eight, and Nine and nationwide rehabilitation of existing sports venues.

The Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport launched the National Sports Academy in 2021, founded on three critical pillars: nurturing emerging talent through a dedicated nursery programme, stimulating competitive spirit via organised tournaments, and offering advanced training through the Elite Academy.

The Academy is poised to become fully operational, with its Elite Training component set to roll out in 2024 and 2025. It will initially focus on 12 core sports, including Badminton, Basketball, Cricket, Squash, Table Tennis, Rugby, Volleyball, Swimming, Football, Hockey, Lawn Tennis, and Track and Field, providing a comprehensive platform for nurturing athletic excellence.

Supporting these government initiatives, ExxonMobil Guyana Ltd. has emerged as a key player in fostering sports development within the country, making significant contributions to youth and community development through its sponsorship of various sporting events. Noteworthy initiatives include the Guyana Inter-Schools Football Tournament, the National Schools Basketball Festival, the Future Warriors Tapeball Tournament, and the Caribbean Premier League.

A highlight of ExxonMobil’s sponsorship was the first-ever Future Warriors Tapeball Tournament in September 2023, organised by the Georgetown Cricket Association. The tournament, which featured a $4 million sponsorship, involved twelve primary schools from Georgetown, with the winning team gaining the unique opportunity to be ‘adopted’ by the Guyana Amazon Warriors during their home leg games.

Following its success, the tournament expanded to include the Berbice and Essequibo regions.
Additionally, ExxonMobil Guyana partnered with New Era Entertainment for the Under-18 Secondary Schools’ Linden Championship Football Tournament in April 2023. This event saw eight schools from Region 10 compete over five days, with the top-performing schools receiving cash prizes to support their development projects.

ExxonMobil Guyana’s role in developing local athletes cannot be overstated, as evidenced by its continuous support as the primary sponsor of the Guyana Amazon Warriors for seven consecutive years. As the sole local operator of oil production, ExxonMobil Guyana is leading by example by investing in the nation’s youth and their future.