Diamond playfield unsafe for sporting activities – teachers

The playfield at Diamond, East Bank Demerara, which is currently being utilised for sporting activities, is currently in a deplorable state, posing threats to both athletes and teachers.
During a visit to the facility, coaches complained that the uneven grounds are dangerous for the athletes, which can result severe physical injury.

One teacher, Damion Layne, who is attached to Friendship Secondary School told Guyana Times in an interview on Wednesday that the ground is in need of urgent repairs.
He said that the children complained of having to slow down at specific spots on the field owing to rutted landscape.
“We were fortunate to be able to have sports on the ground and in my opinion, I think the ground needs to be rehabilitated. It’s not really 100 per cent safe for the students to run at their full potential, it had a lot of (uneven) areas and so. The pavilion was not in the best of conditions either… so if it is that we can have someone take care of it as early as possible it would make me feel much more comfortable to take my house or my students there to perform,” the teacher said.

Additionally, the pavilion, where onlookers would cheer the athletes, was also observed to be in a deplorable state.
Sections of the ceiling were rotted and the remaining sections were almost taken over by bee nests.
Another teacher told this publication that when it rains, the shed becomes almost useless as several spots allow the rain water to pass through.
The Grove-Diamond Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) when contacted said the schools had the opportunity to inspect the field before they made a decision to book the facility.
The officer attached to the NDC could not say when was the last time rehabilitation works were conducted there but noted that the ground was “prepared” for the sports events.
In addition, she was unable to say if any works are planned to upgrade the facility in the near future.