By Iva Wharton
Administrators, community leaders and school principals have to be prepared to take responsibility for the grounds that will be rehabilitated by the Sport Ministry, says Director of Sport Neil Kumar.
Kumar in an interview with Stabroek Sport yesterday, said to date the Sport Ministry has received 52 requests from the 10 administrative regions for rehabilitation works to community centres, clubs and school grounds.
“Fifty two grounds have been allocated for and we have sent it over tothe Ministry of Finance for a total of $54 million.”
Kumar said that Region Four has the most grounds up for rehabilitation work while it is an even spread for the other nine regions.
“What we are doing here is preparing the grounds to be in playing conditions, meaning grading and levelling of the grounds.”
He said that in many cases, requests have been made for grading, levelling, fencing of grounds or pavilions, extension of pavilions, and repairs to sanitary blocks among other works.
“What I must say that most of these grounds only have facilities for males and I feel very strongly that there must be female facilities also because you should not have males and females using the same facilities.”
The Malteenoes Cricket Club and Queen’s College are among the 52 clubs, schools and community grounds to have put in requests.
Malteenoes, Kumar said, has requested 50 loads of sand for land filling, while Queen’s College has sought assistance to have its pavilion rehabilitated and fenced.
In many cases Kumar said community centres, clubs and school grounds have fallen apart because of the lack of sustainable maintenance works.
“I am very worried that we are going to do all of this and then you will still see cows, goats, sheep, and horses being grazed on the grounds. They have to be some way of maintaining the grounds.”
According to Kumar it is important that the community leaders, club administrators and principals must ensure that the facilities are properly maintained and cared for.
“Look at a big ground like Port Mourant – no maintenance, you drive down from here to the East Coast and you will see the Enterprise, Better Hope, Lusignan grounds full of bush. Drive along Woolford Avenue, by the seawall you will see all the grounds in a terrible state.”
Last year Kumar said that in the hope of maintaining the facilities, machinery was given to each region to maintain grounds, but he could not say what is responsible for the state in which the grounds are in today.
“We are trying to help them, but it’s how they get it done. People have to be more responsible.”
