GOG’s 2023 Budget caters for building Cricket Academy

By Sean Devers

Minister of Culture, Youth & Sport, Charles Ramson alluded to the work that the PPP/C Government has done during the last year in office, pointing directly the budgetary allocation for a cricket academy.

The Minister began his presentation with a bit of humou during Tuesday budget debate, citing a quote from Mark Twain in response to presentations from the other side of the house.

“He (Twain) said, ‘let’s be thankful for fools because without them the rest of us won’t be able to succeed.

“When I came to the Ministry of Culture, Youth & Sports, we had 2.4 Billion and now our Ministry is getting 7.1 billion dollars,” informed Minister Ramson.

MP Ramson noted that for the first time in any Budget presentation the words ‘Cricket Academy’ were included, adding that, “For all these years we were a leader in World cricket and our players were among the best in the World but now Cricket is on a decline in the Region.”

“It is the first time we are taking hold of this as a part of the Government’s program to improve the talent and performance of our cricketers by building a Cricket Academy,” said Minister Ramson.

He began his presentation by providing an overview of the bigger picture of what he said has been a tremendous year of achiement for the Government in growth and development.

According to the Sports Minister, 2022 has been another phenomenal year for his Ministry.

“We secured for the first time, the CPL semi-finals and Final, launched the Sports Academy and have started construction of the Mini-Stadiums

We commenced the construction of the Mini Stadiums at Anna Regina and McKenzie.

We commenced the transformation of the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall, commenced construction of modern stands at the athletic tracks in New Amsterdam and Linden and completed construction of a new stand at the Leonora Track and Field Stadium” added Ramson.

The Minister informed that that the GOG has completed the procurement of quality International lights for the Syntactic Track in

New Amsterdam.

Ramson stated that there were major renovation works at the National Stadium, procurement of lights for the Uitvlugt ground, commencement of construction of a new Doubles Squash Court and a new Squash Hall at the National Racket Centre were done last year.

“We commenced construction on an all-weather cricket training facility at the National Stadium, completed the Asphalt work at the Linden Track and are about to lay the Syntactic material with the supervision of BSW from Germany.

As for Community grounds, which is very close to my heart, we completed and supported 55 grounds last year and 92 since coming into office while 21 of those grounds have lights it’s not just about doing the grounds, but offering opportunities and connecting with the communities so that we can know how we can provide opportunities in the areas to the young people so that they can be a part of the program of development and training” continued the Minister.

When we are doing these community grounds we have an integrated approach to what we are doing.

“Guyana was the first Country in CONCAF to secure the FIFA for Schools program.

We hosted the IGG Games after five years and for the first time had nine disciplines. We expanded our sports Academy by hiring certified Coaches to run the

Nurseries

Our ‘Teach then Young’ swim camp had over 1,600 kids and the program was successfully implemented without a single incident.

We held the President’s Cup ‘One Guyana’ football tournament and I was told that two of the players from Region nine, who their first opportunity to participate because of the new structure, were selected in the Guyana pool of players. Had it not been for that tournament, those two players would not have gotten that opportunity

We also held the Junior CASA tournament last year and this year and this year we are once again heavy on building the infrastructure for facilities and training” Minister Ramson said

“Those who want to compare the records of the Governments must remember that PNC/APNU have been in Government for 33 years (PNC 28 & Apnu 5) while the PPP have been in Government for 25 years,” He said

“Under this Government, the National Stadium, the Aquatic Centre, the National Racket Centre, the Gymnasium and Leonora Track & Field Stadium have been built and all of that was done without Oil money.”

In 33 years the only Sporting facilities the PNC or APNU have built is the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall and the Durban Park project of with 1.4 billion was spent and six hundred Million cannot be accounted for” concluded Ramson.

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Answers to yesterday’s quiz: (1) Vs AUST, Melbourne, 1975-76

Clive Lloyd

Today’s Quiz: (1) Where and when did Clive Lloyd make his Test debut? (2) Who was the then West Indies captain?

Answers in tomorrow’s issue