Latest update April 19th, 2024 12:59 AM
Aug 22, 2012 Sports
– bemoans continued absence of Sports Policy
By Edison Jefford
President of the Guyana Olympic Association (GOA), K.A Juman Yassin Monday renewed his call for a resuscitated National Sports Commission (NSC) that will function in the best interest of sport associations and Government on issues such as funding for sports.
Yassin made the call during an extensive press conference that dealt with a plethora of issues that emerged following Guyana’s continued poor showing at the recently held Olympic Games where the country failed to medal yet again, adding to a 31-year old drought.
“I need to see the resuscitation of Sports Commission. I made some comments at an appreciation ceremony and dinner, and the Minister (of Sport, Dr. Frank Anthony) was not too pleased about it,” Yassin recalled, reiterating that he needs to see the NSC functioning.
Yassin had given the Government a C+ for their role in the development of sport last year at the GOA Award Ceremony. The grade prompted Dr. Anthony to quickly retort that he has never, in all his years at school, received such a low grade for his performance.
The GOA head, who has been in that position since 1996, renewed calls for a properly, and well-constituted NSC against his belief that it is one of the key missing links toward the holistic thrust to develop sports in Guyana. Yassin called the NSC an “essential” organisation toward any move to get sport to where it ought to be domestically and otherwise.
“Get the NSC Act and you will see that one of their roles is ‘to encourage, in corporation with any sport organisation, the attainment of high standards in sports and encourage conduct of sport activities,” Yassin, who is an Attorney-at-Law and former Magistrate, said.
Outside of the much-awaited, long-overdue and important National Sports Policy, which Yassin says he hopes makes an allowance for sport funding, the GOA boss believes that the NSC is the next most important institution if sports is to seriously ascend.
“The NSC has a budget and Parliament allocates a certain amount. The NSC Act ensures that the Parliament allocates ‘x’ amount to the Commission, and that that is spent. I feel there’s need for the Commission to be in place and that will be a factor between Ministry and Sport Associations,” Yassin told the media at Olympic House Monday afternoon.
“The Sports Policy that was supposed to have been forthcoming, need to come forward as soon as possible because in the Sports Policy there would be, and I hope, a commitment that says that money will be spent on sports and the development of elite athletes,” he continued.
“If you do not spend money, you are not going anywhere, unless there is a fluke because there is always a divine performance, but in order to get that divine performance you have to qualify, you need money for facilities, high level coaches, support facilities like doctors, psychologists, sports medicine specialists and physiotherapist,” he indicated, asking “where will we get this money in Guyana; a small country like ours; well, we have to look at ways to raise funds, Government will also have to commit itself to sports.”
Yassin said that it is impossible for Guyana to get results with the absence of and lack of funding and the Sports Policy, both of which the NSC is expected to regularise. He noted those missing facets of local sport development continue to undermine performance.
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