Earlier this week a fitness centre, Seelall Persaud Fitness Centre, was commissioned in the compound of Felix Austin Police College, Eve Leary, with the objective to improve the health and wellbeing of the persons that use it as well as to boost the morale of lawmen.
The fitness centre is open to all members of the Guyana Police Force as well as all retired members. Those who have been dismissed from the Force or resign at an early time will not benefit from the centre.
According to Commissioner of Police, Seelall Persaud, “In 2014 the Force’s management team, having considered that morale in the Force was extremely low, they decided on a range of initiatives to rebuild morale in the Force. The fitness centre was one of those initiatives dating back to 2014 that was realised at its commissioning on Wednesday, November 30.”
In addition the Commissioner stated that the completion of the facility was only possible because of the support of successive governments – the previous and current.
Nevertheless it was a welcomed initiative for the Guyana Police Force as it will encourage lawmen to keep their fitness intact and apart from that, they will be allowed to use the gym free of cost.
The driving force behind the initiative was the Finance Officer and Assistant Commissioner Nigel Hoppie, who recognised the need for such a facility to ensure that lawmen are at all times fit. According to Hoppie the total cost of the project is $27,279,579. However, the contract was initially signed in December 2014 to the tune of $21,064,597 and executed by contractors Navin and Sons Construction.
Building commenced in 2015 and concluded in the said year, according to the Finance Officer. The following is the breakdown of the contract. Preliminary works $361,000, Excavating $795,000, Super Structure work $12,114,405, plumbing, construction of sauna and acquisition of pumps $2,881,692, Electrical works including installation of AC units $2,369,350, painting and finishing touches $2,543,150 and further $6,215,000 was allocated in the 2016 budget to equip the fitness centre.
The building was commissioned by Minister of Public Security Khemraj Ramjattan who made mention of the Government intentions in regards to the Force.
Minister Ramjattan said the facilities that are going to be offered to the Police Force are going to be expanding because the Government feels, that indeed, for the happiness of Guyana and its countrypeople there will require good, competent, healthy, fit policepeople.
He added that it is important for people to understand the need for a police force that is going to execute its function that it be fit.
Whether there are questions surrounding this initiative, it should do good for the force once utilised correctly.
However, similar initiatives should be implemented for sport so the youths or all our countrypeople could benefit. For example, the Guyana Tennis Association fights to have its own facility to produce better players and host international tournaments. Or a high performance centre for various sport discipline to contribute to our people’s development locally and performance on the global stage. These among other initiatives could be of substance for our youths.
The GTA simply seek the land(s) so as to see its dream manifested. In the interim it uses Government facilities – the Racquet Centre and National Park or private facilities, mainly Guyana Bank for Trade and Industry (GBTI) Recreational Facility. Thus, these facilities are not always readily available to it.
The GTA aims for a minimum of a scholarship for its best players but with its own facility it is willing to strive further, like realising a world class player(s).
A high performance facility could also see improvement among our athletes to reckon with those on our international stage.
Apart from the facets of improved performance or producing world class performers, investment in sport could contribute to our countrypeople’s development – their social growth, discipline, health, fitness and other areas.
In the 2017 Budget there were increases in the sums offered to develop sport, it would be auspicious if at least one of the above areas is considered.
Sport unifies, brings gains and sustains health. Let us use sport as the vehicle for social change.
