IN a historic step to decentralise sports development and unleash the immense potential of Guyana’s hinterland regions, the Ministry of Culture, Youth, and Sport and the National Sports Commission have launched a historic flash-drive distribution programme to provide coaching and refereeing video resources to communities throughout all ten administrative regions.

Director of Sport Steve Ninvalle disclosed that important coaching and refereeing material for the 13 core sports disciplines was included in 219 flash drives that were distributed at the National Toshaos Council conference late last month at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC).

The targetted sports are track and field, badminton, basketball, boxing, cricket, football, hockey, rugby, squash, swimming, table tennis, tennis, and volleyball, Ninvalle said.
He added that Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport Charles Ramson Jr. is the driving force behind this innovative programme, which seeks to level the playing field for aspiring players and officials by imparting the same fundamental knowledge of these sports to rural populations.

Ninvalle acknowledged the substantial unrealised potential that exists in these communities, and is confident that having access to this vital information will be essential to fostering and developing the next generation of Guyanese athletes. He applauded the effort of Assistant Director of Sport Melissa Dow-Richardson in obtaining the data.

The recent laptop distribution to the hinterland areas by the government is inextricably tied to the success of this effort. Because of this earlier investment in digital infrastructure, these vital coaching and refereeing resources will now be distributed effectively with the aid of the local sports officers and sports councils, further guaranteeing that the material is utilised to its full potential.

“The Ministry and National Sports Commission envisions that this project will contribute to the expansion and advancement of sports at all levels by significantly raising the calibre of coaching and officiating in these hinterland areas. This historic project demonstrates the Ministry of Culture, Youth, and Sport’s steadfast dedication to developing a thriving and encompassing sports culture across Guyana, ensuring that no community is left behind in the collective and national quest for athletic greatness,” the Director of Sport concluded.