Dear Editor,
Lawrence Griffith’s letter captioned ‘Sport in Guyana is not going anywhere’ published in SN 3.9.08, despite highlighting a few positives in reality should be confined to the national archives, along with those of his mindset, to gather dust.
The individual whose association/involvement with sports approaches two decades has avoided football and its under-development. Football, the world’s most popular, passionate and emotional sport is quite the opposite when it comes to administration in Guyana, which is probably the only country in the world that retains its technical and managerial staff after a string of failures at the international level.
‘One must not sport with sports,’ since in today’s world it’s serious business; neither should it be politicized − Griffith’s choice of words to an extent. But isn’t it politicization that over the years has left a few persons with a vast knowledge and love for football out in the cold, preventing them from making a meaningful contribution to development because of their outspokenness? Isn’t it sporting with sports not to have allowed the Guyana Football Federation, from constructing its training facility under the FIFA Goal Project, to the tune of US$700,000 for well over five years? Some countries in the region have gone on to phase two, constructing a facility with an artificial turf. Isn’t it sporting with sports for the powers-that-be in Trinidad, to summon the GFF within 48 hours for an international friendly at the senior level, while the Guyanese, who represent Tobago United in the T&TFF Pro League cannot be released to represent their country? Are these the types of arrangement the GFF makes? The end result was 3-0 in favour of Trinidad & Tobago! Mr Editor, I can go on, but time and space will not permit me. However, as a timely reminder to Lawrence, the GFF of all the national association federations receives the largest grant, not nationally, but from its parent body, FIFA. And what have they to show for development? The annual subvention of $50M may be much more than what all the national associations combined receive, but look at badminton and squash, devoid of paying spectatorship unlike football, and compare the progress made. Finally, while I would agree that occasional grants and tax exemptions will not develop sport, nevertheless it remains incumbent upon the government to develop a multipurpose training facility which would cater for all the national sporting disciplines, and which would be provided with state-of-the-art equipment, dormitories, classrooms, kitchens, medical facilities, etc, in addition to a well trained-staff to ensure maximum use. It could also cater for the development of Olympics sports, such as kayaking, in which our Amerindian brothers and sisters can excel, if given the opportunity.
Yours faithfully,
Maurice Cato
