The new National Sports Policy will represent a “paradigm shift” says Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports, Dr. Frank Anthony.
In an exclusive interview with Stabroek Sports, Dr. Anthony disclosed that the sixth draft of the National Sports Policy should be completed within a week.
He added that the document was currently in its final stage with the ministry incorporating comments made by sporting bodies.
This follows a visit to Guyana earlier this year by Canadian Dr Colin Higgs, a Director of the International Development through Sports (IDS).
The IDS is a branch of Commonwealth Games Canada, a non-profit multi-sport organization which is the franchise holder for the Commonwealth Games.
Dr. Anthony said that Guyana has now adopted the Canadian model and that people should expect a revolutionary way in the administration of sport in Guyana.
Following Higgs’s visit and subsequent meeting with sports associations, the draft was circulated to sporting bodies in the country for their representatives to make comments.
“We did not have much comments actually and now we are incorporating the comments in the document and by mid of this month that document should be fianalised,” Dr. Anthony declared.
He indicated that while most of the comments were actually queries for clarity concerning aspects of the document, persons were in agreement with 95% of the content.
When the document is finalised it will become the “country’s sports plan,” said the minister.
According to Dr. Anthony the plan “entails practical things that the ministry wants to do.
“You’ll see a lot of that at the back of the plan; there are five key areas and under each of those areas there are activities that we want to do and then there is a timeline by which we will achieve those. So, a lot of what is already in there for this year we have already started working on.
“It is not like we are waiting until the document is finalised because we think it is important for sport. This plan will help people to connect all the activities that are going on,” Dr. Anthony added.
Previously Dr. Anthony explained that he had hoped that the document could have been approved in parliament by September last year.
Dr. Anthony said people can now expect “a paradigm shift” since Guyana has now adopted the Canadian model that focuses on long-term developmental training.
He said this will represent a different way in which sport will administered and it will form the foundation of the NSP.
The minister said that at month-end there will be a detailed workshop on long-term development training for athletes.
He also stated that since all officials cannot be trained, the ministry will be looking for “30-40 persons from different stakeholders’ groupings” to become familiar with the programmes.
Dr. Anthony had previously requested a database of athletes from the various sporting bodies at his end-of-year press briefing and he reported that many of these bodies have been tardy in their responses.
It was explained then that such an initiative was to ensure the authenticity of athletes who will be leaving these shores to represent Guyana at various tournaments.
Dr. Anthony pointed out, however, that the poor response will not deter his ministry from pushing to set up this national database. He said that some of the associations have submitted names but not the majority and it will be an ongoing process since he understands that many of the associations have some teething issues with their own databases.
