Heritage games, a platform to propel Amerindian athletes

The Everest Cricket Club (ECC) Ground was transformed into a multi-sport spectacle on Wednesday evening as another edition of the Amerindian Heritage Games was declared open.
The proceedings began with a heart-thumping parachuting display staged by members of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF), while a group of their Amerindian officers subsequently led a vibrant march past of over 800 athletes set to compete at this year’s Games.
Culminating with a fireworks display for the first time in the games’ history, Sport Minister Charles Ramson Jr emphasised the importance of the Games.

Ramson assured, “We are all here to support you because we believe in your talent and your representation from wherever you come from. This Heritage game is very important, not just to you; it’s important to your region and important to the people who believe in you too. You are sending a very strong signal, a strong message that they can be where you are today.”
“And where you are today, you can be where Sarah Browne is today too, as the Minister of Amerindian Affairs,” the Sport Minister went on to share.
The Games will see athletes competing in football, cricket, volleyball, archery and athletics, all at the Everest Ground, while swimming will take place at the National Aquatic Centre.
Reminiscing on her time at the Games, newly appointed Amerindian Affairs Minister Sarah Browne hailed the event as a platform for showcasing indigenous talent.

Browne, one of the cabinet’s newest faces, expressed, “Being an athlete myself, having represented Region One at these very Games on the female football team in the past, I understand the excitement leading up to these exciting games, which, since its genesis and over the years, continued to shine the spotlight on our young indigenous athletic talents from across Guyana in areas such as football, cricket, archery, volleyball, swimming and athletics. Coming out of these very Games are athletes from across disciplines who have been chosen to represent Guyana on all levels.”
The Games will run until Sunday, September 28, when finals in a number of sports disciplines will be staged.
Region Seven’s men are the male defending champions in football, while Region Four’s women are defending champions. In volleyball, Region One’s men and women will be looking to retain their crown.