Eradicate barriers surrounding darts in Guyana

Dear Editor,
Darts, for some, is not a sport, but a game. Interest in darts has grown significantly, not only in Guyana, but in the rest of the world, especially in the UK.
For many years, Guyana has been represented and placed on the world stage of darts, regionally and internationally, with little or no acknowledgment from the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport. Recently, the Golden Arrowhead was flying high in Chile as the Guyanese team emphatically surpassed their opponents in the qualifiers of the Championship Darts Latin America and Caribbean (CDLC).
Norman Madhoo, pipping Sudesh Fitzgerald in the qualifiers, is now qualified to participate in the PDC World Darts Championship to be held in London, UK.
Editor, while the Golden Arrowhead was flying in Chile, the success achieved was solely at the expense of the Guyanese contingent, who worked hard through fundraisers integrated with few sponsorships to ensure their participation. Without any moral or financial support from the Guyana Darts Association and the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport, it has to be disappointing and frustrating for the people who are placing Guyana on the world stage of darts.

With the absence of support from both the Guyana Darts Association and the Ministry, I won’t be surprised if Norman Madhoo is forced to forfeit the opportunity to represent the entire Latin America and the Caribbean at this mega-event to be held in the UK.
Darts is a sport, and is recognised as such in all darts-playing countries. It would therefore be prudent for the Ministry to play an active part in continuation of support and encouraging recognition of this sport.
I wish to call on the Ministry of Culture, Youth, and Sport to work closely with the Guyana Darts Association to eradicate the barriers that are impeding our athletes.

Yours truly,
Mustafaa Azimullah