Hassan Mohamed should be recognized with a national award

Dear Editor,

As national awards go, Guyana has fallen down in terms of recognising its outstanding citizens/individuals/groups. This breakdown must be placed at the door steps of the current administration.

I am an avid sports enthusiast and have continued to follow Guyanese sporting activities daily as the first item on my morning read of the Guyanese press via the internet. I cannot but be impressed by the continued and unselfish efforts of one Guyanese national coach in the field of cycling, Mr Hassan Mohamed, MS.

In and out of season Mr Mohamed has managed to continue to seek avenues in innovative ways to supplement his programme at the Department of Sport at the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport. So successful he been with the help of his man Friday, Beaton, who himself should be recognised with his own national award for his sterling efforts in helping to promote cycling, that the track around the National Park should be named after Mr Hassan. This would be a small recognition of the sterling work and commitment of this Guyanese icon of cycling in Guyana and the wider Caribbean.

I can attest to the patriotic commitment of this gentleman to both cycling and cricket, as he is involved with the Everest Cricket Club as an executive member and a former player of some calibre. In addition, Hassan is an exemplary family man and a friend. His programmes have a national outreach.

I call on the Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Dr Frank Anthony, who is aware of the work of Hassan Mohamed, to initiate measures to correct this oversight in not recognising this Guyanese icon for what he is worth with at least a Cacique Crown of Honour (CCH).

Yours faithfully,
Lionel Peters