The continued failure of the Ministry of Sport to implement a National Sports Policy has come in for some measure of criticism from president of the Guyana Olympic Association K JUman Yassin.
“I am very disappointed that the Sports Policy has not been firmly implemented. I know Minister Anthony had been spearheading the efforts to have this done and I don’t know the reason why the Sports Policy has not been finalised,” Yassin told Stabroek Sport yesterday in an invited comment.
The Ministry of Sport had sought assistance from Dr Colin Higgs, a Director of International Development through Sports (IDS) a branch of Commonwealth Games, Canada and Stabroek Sport understands that the National Sports Policy is based somewehat on Canada’s model.
In 2010, the Ministry of Sport announced that the policy was completed but was being documented.
The National Sport Policy is expected to be the framework whereby sports can be developed in Guyana in a holistic manner.
It places participation of sport in its proper context and recognizes the importance of participation in sports activities in the everday lives of the citizens of Guyana.
Yassin said that a Sports Policy was essential because athletes, associations and the public at large needed to know exactly what the parameters are by which the government was looking to support and develop sports adding that with the implementation of the Sports Policy, associations and athletes stood to benefit from government assistance.
“As president of the Olympic Association I have indicated to our respective associations that they should formulate their plans and send it in to the Ministry as early as possible and before the budget so that there could be no excuse that their plans have not been budgeted for,” Yassin said although he said that not every request would be granted.
“The ministry would have to look at the request, will have to see what merit it has and also look at the organization and the association. So I want to be very clear that not every request that an association makes to the ministry I expect to be granted. I have told association to send in their plans because Mr. Kumar had indicated that the Government will help association on the Road to Rio so we need to put it to the test.”
Yassin said that all associations were consulted on the sports policy.
“If I could recall they were looking at defining how to assist elite athletes; how to assist in the development of sports and how to assist in the development of other areas in sport. But for me, I am very interested in the development of the elite athletes because at the moment there is no way to assist them.
“For example, the amateur boxers, they need a stipend every month and because they are not getting this, the amateur boxers are now moving to professional boxing and so they are no longer amateurs. And this is because the amateur boxing association needs to get funds to be able to keep these guys as amateurs. You have got other track and field athletes that you need to get them to be able to train full time. We don’t have that. If we want to win medals at the Olympics we have to have our athletes training full time. I don’t think we have any of the coaches full time. But it should not just be for athletes but for coaches to be able to get them to be paid properly for them to concentrate on coaching,” he declared.
Yassin also lamented that the National Sports Commission (NSC) was not functioning.
“For me there is not a Sports Commission and there has been no Sports Commission for some years now. I have been a member of the Sports Commission and I am unaware of any meeting of the Sports Commission and other members who were members are also in the same position.
“ Also if you look at the Act which give the Sports Commission power, you will see that in that particular Act the Sports Commission is that body responsible for liaising with association and also to help in the development. All I could do is ask the government to form a Sports Commission.”
The life of the last Sports Commission, Yassin said, came to an end two years ago.
“The ministry has indicated that the life had been extended but I am unaware about it and I did not receive any notice and I have not been invited to any meeting of the Sports Commission. So, as far as I am concerned, no Sports Commission is in place and there is no Chairman of any Sports Commission.
The National Sports Policy has been in the pipeline for over a decade but despite consultations the ministry has not been able to implement the policy.
