MCYS aiming to build talent from community level – Minister Ramson Jr

By Jemima Holmes

While the coronavirus pandemic continues to shine a bad light on sport participation locally, the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport (MCYS) is beginning an initiative that would foster participation in sports at a community level.
On the heels of an outreach in the Agricola community on the outskirts of Georgetown over the weekend, Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Charles Ramson Jr, speaking exclusively with Guyana Times Sport, shared that the distribution of sporting gear in that community is part of a much larger initiative that is being rolled out by the MCYS.
Describing the project, Ramson said, “The programme is for kids to get back (to) playing sports in their communities. That is the initial phase of what we’re going to be doing coming out of COVID for the next year. So, the tournaments are going to be a big part of what the Ministry does in association with the sports associations, because we want to get people – and kids in particular – back into playing sports.
“Having the tournaments is so that they can have the opportunity to develop their talents,” Ramson explained.
Since being appointed subject Minister for Sport, Ramson Jr had divulged to this publication his intention to transform Guyanese talent by targeting an international standard for sportsmen and women. This initiative, he explained, would begin to nurture talent at the community level in anticipation of much larger tournaments that the Ministry or various sports associations would host.
“You may have heard me explain what would be the strategy to move talent from where we are at the moment to becoming world class. It’s a comprehensive plan that we have to roll out, but the distribution of gears is more like at the community level: so that they can have more activities (wherein) they can get more exposure and start to love different kinds of games.
“And at the same time, they have community involvement and they’re building that community strength,” the Minister detailed.
Also concerned about the Youth arm of his portfolio, the Minister said he hopes that involvement in sport would curb delinquent behaviours among youths.
“I also want to make sure we avoid the anti-social behaviour that goes along with being idle. A lot of the times, old people would say that the devil finds work for idle hands. So, we’re trying to keep them busy too,” Ramson Jr. commented.
It is expected that a similar initiative would be rolled out in other communities.