Latest update April 25th, 2024 12:59 AM
Sep 09, 2022 Sports
– Region 10 Chairman calls for investment from Government
By Rawle Toney
There will never be a discussion on sports in Guyana without the mention of Linden. In fact, Region 10 is considered by many the ‘talent basket’ of Guyana, particularly in the area of track and field, basketball and football.
However, the birthplace of Mariam Burnett and James ‘Joelyn’ Joseph has seen a significant decline and neglect of their sports infrastructure.
Kaieteur News made the voyage to the Upper Demerara River community on Wednesday and were dumbfounded at the amount of dilapidated facilities.
For example, the Christianburg Community Centre basketball court, one of three basketball facilities that hosted club and inter-association championship over the past decades, is now left with rotting stands and no backboards and rings.
The Mackenzie Sports Club basketball court, once the home of international basketball and a facility that the James brothers, Ulric Tappin, Steve Niels (just to name a few), used as their stomping ground, is left with an unplayable surface and broken structures.
The Mackenzie Sports Club swimming pool, once used by the likes of Olympian and Islamic Solidarity Games Bronze Medalist, Onan Thom and Mary Fung, is being overtaken by vegetation and creatures.
Athletes from Linden often cry for support, but, most times it falls to deaf ears.
Chantoba Bright, Guyana’s most decorated CARIFTA Games athlete, along with Olympian, National 100m champion and Long Jump national record holder, Emmanuel Archibald, are at the top of the food chain in their respective disciplines, yet, they’re some of the least supported athletes locally.
Kaieteur News spoke with Region 10 Chairman, Deron Adams, who bemoaned the lack of interest shown to Linden and to athletes from the Mining Town.
“I believe that like other countries have been doing, they identify those who have special skills. In this case, we’re cognizant of the fact that Region 10 is the talent basket for the country, so there’s no reason why emphas
is and resources and an assessment of our needs should not be given priority,” the usually candid Adams said.
Adams believes that the relationship between the Central Government and the Regional Government has to be improved, especially those who are inclined to give assistance to the various disciplines.
Under the David Granger-led Government, a synthetic track began construction in 2016 and six years later, it is still under construction. There’s no time-line given for its completion by the current Government.
The Mackenzie Sports Club was identified as one of three National multipurpose facilities – an announcement made by President Irfan Ali. But as the famous MSC ground continues to fall apart, no announcement on the commencement of the project has been made.
“I want to make it clear that anything that is good, I would support it. Anything in the interest of the youths, I will support it. I think the time is now,” Adams said when asked about reported push-back from elected Region 10 officials for the project.
Adams highlighted that “a structure must be put in place, consultations should be had and the people should be aware of how they will benefit the various disciplines. The elected officials (of Region 10) must be brought to the table. We live here, we know what are their (the athletes) needs. So, the Central Government, if they really want to have a true idea of what’s happening on the ground and the needs of our people, they must bring local leaders and the Regional officials.”
Adams, a member of the People’s National Congress (PNC) – the largest party in the coalition A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) – debunked Kaieteur News’ question of why his party never see through the completion of the facility at Bayroc and made investment in the very things he’s addressing.
The Region 10 Chairman said the 2018 No-Confidence motion which was successful against his party in the National Assembly, negatively affected the construction of the Synthetic track, while listing some non-sport successful programmes.
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