Dear Editor,
For so many years now, more than I can remember, we have been crying out for some assistance, so the young people of the forgotten hinterland regions of Guyana can be given an equal opportunity to showcase their talents in the field of sports on a more regular basis, especially at the national level.
The once annual Amerindian Heritage Month day of sports held in Georgetown, and the National Track and Field Schools Championship, in which they were only allowed to compete in a limited number of events and were poorly outfitted in comparison to their coastal counterparts, proved to be inadequate.
Now that the Digicel nationwide schools competition is in progress and only in its second year it has given our youths from the hinterland secondary schools a tremendous opportunity to face off with some of the best football teams across the country.
Despite the fact that they lack the technical support and resources that are readily available and accessible to their coastal opponents, this year’s competition can be the moment of truth for two of our favourite hinterland teams. St Ignatius and Waramadong could emerge from the foot of the Kanuku Mountains in Region 9 and from the foot of the mighty Pakaraimas in Region 7 to rise to prominence and stardom and become the young football heroes of our country. A win for either of them in this championship will also be a win for the other hinterland teams who competed in the early stages, as we recognize them for their efforts.
We as youth and sport advocates of the hinterland must recognize this invaluable contribution and investment made by Digicel in football, not only as a new development for our indigenous communities but a dream come true for the betterment of our young people from the hinterland and Guyana as a whole. It would also be a victory for Digicel which has given them this great inspiration, motivation and a sense of pride to be recognized as true Guyanese on a level playing field.
It is my hope that the performance at this level of football would change the perceptions of the governing body of local football, and that the Director of Sports in the Ministry of Culture Youth and Sport would take note of their determination to excel and prove themselves worthy of being selected and included in a national team to represent our dear land of Guyana.
I take this opportunity to express my deep and heartfelt appreciation to Digicel’s CEO Mr Gregory Dean, Ms Shonette Moore and Mr Gavin Hope, Events and Sponsorship Manager, for affording us a wonderful opportunity by bridging this wide gap and bringing our young people together with greater expectations to come.
I also want to extend warm congratulations to Lavern Fraser and her entire Digicel team and football officials who recently travelled to the Rupununi for a job well done in running off our regional competition.
Digicel is reaching us in the far hinterland with a better service and a better plan for sports, culture and social services, and a brighter future for our indigenous villages. Breaking new ground there is now a level playing field for our entire nation.
Yours faithfully,
Mark Rodrigues
Region 9
