Government urges corporate community to invest in sports

From left, Franklin Wilson, Rawle Toney, Peter Green, Hilbert Foster, Claudius Butts, Jevina Straker, Geron Williams and Alika Morgan shortly after collecting their awards.

Government urged the corporate community to invest in local sport Friday night when the National Sport Commission (NSC) hosted its prize giving ceremony for the national sport awardees at the National Cultural Centre.
Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Dr Frank Anthony told an audience of mostly sport enthusiasts among other patrons that the ministry is hoping to motivate more persons to get involved in sports at various levels.
“We want to urge companies and organisations to invest more in sports. Research has shown in other countries that for every dollar invested in sports, the society can yield an average return of three dollars in benefits,” Anthony said.
He further indicated that that fact should be a powerful motivator for companies to get more involved in sport. The partisan approach of the corporate society to sport has been an area of concern locally for quite some time.
“Guyana’s sports development is on the move. I think everyone in the sporting fraternity can feel the zeal, enthusiasm, momentum and changes that are being made. However, there are lots more to be done,” the minister believes.
He said that those who wish to play a part in the development of sport should feel secure in that President Bharrat Jagdeo, who delivered the feature address at the ceremony, is convinced that sport plays a positive role in society.

From left, Jason Ray Khalil, Shemaine Campbelle, Laurence Adonis, Dr Karen Pilgrim, Robin Roberts (Rugby), Iva Wharton and Walter Grant Stuart shortly after collecting their national awards.

“We have a President who shares the conviction that sports is a positive force in our society and that we need to use it more liberally and more beneficially, which is why year after year, he has been allocating more and more resources for the development of sports in Guyana,” Anthony continued in his remarks.
He congratulated the awardees, calling them heroes and heroines of local sport. Here is a complete list of the awardees:
Sports Person with Disability: Walter Grant Stuart; Sports Journalist/Photographer: Franklin Wilson; Sports Journalist Non-Print: Iva Wharton; Sports Journalist: Rawle Toney; Sports Association: Guyana Rugby Football Union; Most Improved Association: Guyana Powerlifting Federation; Female Sports Personality: Dr Karen Pilgrim; Male Sports Personality: Hilbert Foster; Sports Coach: Laurence Adonis; Sports Team: Guyana Rugby Sevens Team; Runner-up Junior Sportswoman: Shemaine Campbelle; Junior Sportswoman: Jevina Straker; Runner-up Junior Sportsman: Jason Ray Khalil; Junior Sportsman: Geron Williams; Runner-up Sportswoman: Alika Morgan; Runner-up Sportsman: Cleveland Forde; Sportswoman: Nicolette Fernandes; Sportsman: Ramnaresh Sarwan.