Almost there: National Sport Policy soon to be completed

By Jemima Holmes

One year ago on June 19, 2018, athletes whether amateur or elite breathed a sigh of relief, as a draft of the long awaited National Sports Policy was released. The draft which is said to cater to all athletes across Guyana 10 Administrative Regions, outlined the procedure that will be undertaken for all aspects of Sport including, National, Regional and Internationally applicable laws, collaboration among national agencies on sport programmes and projects, sport governance, administration, management, organisation, education and educational institutions, medicine, financing (funding, sponsorship, incentives), tourism, manufacturing, intellectual property rights, elite athlete development, the media, overseas offices, Diaspora support, and anti-doping.
However, since that date, athletes have been made to hold their breaths once again with no word on the Policy other than ongoing consultations and corrections. The National Sports Policy (NSP) was first promised by the APNU/AFC Government in their manifesto back in 2015. More than a year later in November of 2016 the draft began and it was until last year that the policy draft was released. What athletes did not expect was that fact that it would have taken in excess of a year for the draft to be perfected and presented to the Cabinet and furthermore, Parliament.
In that time, local athletes have continued to make their voices heard, appealing for a better climate in Guyana’s Sport arena. As the policy promises, Sport is expected to evolve in the ‘Land of Many Waters’, but one question remains, how long will it take.
Speaking exclusively with the Guyana Times Sport on the issue, Minister of Social Cohesion with Responsibility for Culture, Youth and Sport, Dr. George Norton revealed that the end of consultations might be near but there are still a few more hurdles to cross before Guyanese athletes can perform to the best of their abilities with the assurance that they will be treated well.
“Apart from some restricting, like typos and so on, we should be nearly at the stage of presenting it to Cabinet and then we’ll take it to parliament,” Dr. Norton initially told this publication.
Collaboration with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) were both mentioned in the Sport policy, as such it is expected that the input of those organizations would be valuable to the NSP.
“Guided by the UNESCO 1978 International Charter of Physical Education and Sport, it is noted that physical education and sport should seek to promote closer communion between peoples and between individuals, together with disinterested emulation, solidarity and fraternity, and full respect for the integrity and dignity of human beings,” The Policy stipulates.
On that note, Minister Norton revealed that the NSP before its presentation to cabinet will be awaiting consultation and input from UNESCO.
“We are expecting UNESCO, who has a lot to do with sport, a consultant of theirs to visit the country and before we go ahead, we’re just waiting for them to have a look and have their input and then that will be through,” Norton stated.
After a year of being open to the public, Dr. Norton revealed that there has been minimal changes highlighted for the policy.
“There has been some additions with regards to games included in the policy, which might not be Olympic and vice versa. So yes there are some changes there but nothing too substantial,” he explained.
One area that has been a major concern of sporting associations and federations is the rewards that athletes are worthy of when they excel on the regional or international stage. The greatest example of this was Boxing Coach Terence Poole who voiced his concerns after his boxers returned from the 2018 South American Games in Cochabamba, Bolivia with bronze medals.
“Why are we just waiting on a policy to draft? Let the athletes get tangible things; they must want to go on further. Not just congratulations, we’re fed up with that now; we passed that stage,” Poole declared on that occasion.
While the Minister has addressed such claims from various associations, especially over the past year, it is still an area of concern for Dr. Norton.
“I cannot help seeing one headline which is ‘we don’t want commendation, we want assets’. This policy is going to address compensation for athletes’ achievements and it’s going to do so in a structured manner. In a way that is in keeping with other countries outside of the region as well as within,” he explained.
Furthermore, the Minister explained to this publication that the compensations or rewards will be distributed according to the level of the achievement. For example, athletes copping a gold medal will receive higher accolades than those receiving bronze of silver. This rank will also apply to the level of the competition, with athletes competing at World Championships or the Olympics receiving higher accolades.
“Those are areas that we definitely have to work on because we have situations where persons (associations and organizations) come back from a particular event saying well ‘we’re the champions’ and because of that such and such compensations owed because others have had it. We want to clear that up,” he said.
“Where Sports in Guyana is no longer viewed only as a casual pass time, leisure or recreational activity, but as an entire sector which services the fundamental needs and requirements of the Guyanese athlete, from the amateur to the elite. The enhancement of existing sports management structures would be critical in this phase of engagement,”
Those are the words scribed in the Summary of the National Sports Policy which promises to make a complete flip in Guyana’s sport arena. While the promise of the Sport Policy is tangible, one can only wonder how long more.