Grounds Enhancement: ‘This is no sweaty start’ – Sports Minister
Sports Minister Charles Ramson testing the soil at a ground in Port Mourant
Minister of Culture Youth and Sport Charles Ramson Jr., on Friday last, said the ground enhancement program which falls under his ministry, and the president’s vision to upgrade thirty community grounds across the ten administrative regions, will be continuous.
“This is part of the president’s method of government to foster relationships with each community and to ensure that all of us remain connected to the people. This is not a sweaty start to government; this will continue,” Ramson told BIG Smith News Watch in an interview Friday evening.
Ramson, accompanied by army personnel and officials from Region Six, inspected several grounds and other facilities in Berbice, to ascertain which of the three most deplorable grounds in the regions will be selected as a pilot project for the army to partner with the ministry in developing.
During his visits to the communities, Ramson and army personnel assessed the physical conditions of the grounds, infrastructure at the facilities, population within the communities that the grounds are located, and the best possible approach to kick-starting their enhancements.
The youth and sports minister engages with a group of youngsters in Berbice on Friday
It was noted that one out of the three most deplorable grounds would be identified as the pilot project, where materials, human resources and skills will be used to bring the ground up to a standard and from that pilot project, other grounds will have the enhancements done. Ramson said the government, through his ministry, is looking to have at least 30 grounds enhanced in 2021.
It was also on Friday that Ramson expressed his disappointment with the pace of works at the Linden and New Amsterdam Synthetic Tracks. He stressed that Guyana also produces talented athletes outside of Region Four, and as such, it is important for those regions to have the necessary facilities where those athletes can continuously train, and where the regions can also host events.
The team conducting a walkthrough of the Synthetic track in New Amsterdam
“I am overall disappointed with the pace of the works going on at the tracks, both here (Berbice) and in Linden. However, we cannot and will not stop the project. But I will take a look at the numbers and request information also as to why we are lagging so far behind with their completion,” the Sports Minister told this publication.
He stressed that he will be asking the respective contractors to explain the reasons for delays, and work with them to see how best the facilities can be completed, so the regions can have their facilities.
On Friday, representatives of clubs who were present at the communities where the minister and his team visited, were also presented with sporting gear, even as the minister also made stops at a drop-in centre, and another facility which provides skills training for Berbice residents. Meetings were also held with a number of associations and clubs.
