Long-awaited National Sport Policy draft released

The cries of sportsmen and women from all across Guyana have been answered as the Social Cohesion Ministry, which covers the portfolio of sport, released a draft of the long awaited National Sports Policy (NSP) on Tuesday.
Athletes, especially those of international calibre, have been calling on the Ministry to speed up the process since the promise of such a policy was made in 2015 as part of the A Partnership For National Unity’s (APNU) election manifesto.
The NSP draft has been in generation from November 2016 to June 2018 and focuses on a number of crucial areas that have been stifling the development of sport in Guyana. Several of those areas are 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.
The Policy aims at raising Guyana’s sport fraternity to a level 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.”
As such, implementation of the Policy would mean that sport will be fostered not only at the organisational level but also in schools. In this instance, the common practice of only track and field in schools will be put aside and students of every primary and secondary school across the 10 administrative regions will be exposed to all sport disciplines and it is the hope of the Policy that adequate facilities will be established to foster that change.
Another key aspect of the Policy mandates that there will be “… awareness of and support for people with disabilities (PWDs) to access sports.” A feature that would be a table turner especially since para-cycling athlete Walter Grant-Stuart has found it difficult to receive participation funding even after bringing home a gold medal.
Additionally, the Policy will focus on allocating financing and funding for national sport organisations and federations hosting competitive games in various sport disciplines and geographic areas, compulsory physical education in schools and anti-doping.
The NSP is available for viewing online and is open to input and suggestions from sporting organisations and citizens. Despite consultations being a lengthy process, this is a procedure that was assured by Social Cohesion Minister, Dr George Norton in an invited comment with Guyana Times Sport.
As recent as last week, Boxing Coach Terrence Poole called for the swift implementation of the National Sport Policy so as to provide a basis so athletes who have medalled in international engagements could have ‘tangible rewards’ when they return to Guyana.