Children are the future, the sport in here to stay

Golfing in Guyana…

By Timothy Jaikarran

What has the COVID-19 pandemic done for the game of golf? I’ll tell you what it has done: it has given it room for growth, a lockdown was all that was needed. From that lockdown in 2020, golf has seen an increase in tournaments and also the number of new persons who want to learn the game.
But one may ask: now that there is a vaccination rollout and other sports can be played besides golf, what does this mean for the sport? Will the sport still be prominent? Will there be a decline? And will things go back to the old ways?

It is my belief that during the pandemic golf cemented its place, and even as things return to normal, the sport can still thrive and do better than it did in the past. The introduction of the sport in schools has seen the foundation being laid. The game has been introduced into schools, and, so far, with 51 schools in Regions 10, 6, 4, 3 and 2 participating, over 5,000 students now have the opportunity to experience one of the most exciting sports, one that is fully COVID-19 compliant.
Golf is seeing phenomenal growth since it was introduced to Queen’s College, Bishops’ High, St. Roses High, and University of Guyana, with many schools, such as Berbice High School; New Amsterdam Multilateral; Tutorial Academy Secondary; Vryman’s Erven Secondary; Canje Secondary School; J.C Chandisingh; Corentyne Comprehensive High; Port, Mourant Secondary; Lower Corentyne Secondary; Central Corentyne Secondary; Winifred Gaskin Secondary; Manchester Secondary; Skeldon Line Path Secondary; Skeldon High School; Tagore Memorial Secondary; Black Bush Secondary, among others joining.
This may sound a bit weird to many readers, but of the many benefits that golf has, such as fostering friendships, overall physical fitness, developing emotional control, teaching patience and a plethora of others things, it is my belief that the most important one of them all is that golf builds business skills.

According to the Colonial Golf & Tennis Club, when asked on the issue of golf building business skills, it was said, “Golf does teach decision-making skills, etiquette, working with numbers, planning and using strategies — all skills that easily translate into marketable skills in business and the work world. Plus, many business-related jobs use golf games as meetings and a way of bonding with clients and co-workers.”
Anyone who already knows, the game has a leg up in the business world later, even if that’s years in the future.”
In previous interviews with his publication, some of Guyana’s top female golfers; namely, Dr Joaan Deo and Christine Sukhram, both agreed that introduction to the sport in schools can be highly beneficial.
Sukhram had said, “‘It is tremendous to see a great sport like golf being brought and taught in schools, as it’s such a humble sport to help in the development of an individual, not only physically but mentally as well,” Dr Deo had also said.
“To see this sport grow and now being played in schools is an absolute joy. It has been a struggle to get persons to become involved in the sport for many years, and to now see it become a reality, where so many schools are on board, it makes me feel quite happy to see the sport expand exponentially. And with us guiding the future generation, it’ll be here for many more years to come.”

If two of Guyana’s most prominent female golfers share the same vision, then who are we to deny that right? Golf has been on the back burner for too long, and once the right investment is made, it will definitely be repaid growth in the future. The point is, if the children are our future, then golf in Guyana is heading in the right place, and whether or not the pandemic ends, golf is here to stay. Sooner, rather than later, it is hoped that the sport will be among some of Guyana’s top core sports, and persons can represent this nation at the highest level.