Laurie Lewis heads National Sports Commission
By Michael DaSilva
Stabroek News
May 29, 2003
After a 33-month hiatus, the life of the National Sports Commission (NSC) has been resuscitated with former Commissioner of Police Laurie Lewis as its head.
According to a source close to the NSC, Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports Gail Teixeira appointed Lewis, a former president of the Guyana Amateur Boxing Association to head the Commission.
Efforts to reach Minister Teixeira for confirmation on the appointment was unsuccessful. However, the source is adamant that Lewis has been appointed.
The source said the re-establishment of the NSC has been in the air for sometime now and Cabinet recently approved it. The source could not however confirm who the other members of the commission are.
The life of the National Sports Commission (NSC) had come to an end on July 31, 2000 and since then no new members were appointed or re-appointed by Minister Teixeira who has that responsibility.
According to a former member of the commission, officially, the life of the commission had expired on July 31 that year, but commission members were asked by Minister Teixeira to stay on for another month (August 31) which they did.
Lewis replaces Conrad Plummer who in 2000 asked the members if they were interested in continuing to serve on the commission and all except two answered in the positive.
Plummer was appointed to the post in August 1999.
Among the persons that were tipped to serve then were Monica Benn and Amateur Athletic Association of Guyana (AAA) president, Claude Blackmoore.
The old commission which appointed by former Minister of Education Dr. Dale Bisnauth when his ministry was responsible for sports, comprised; Lewis, Plummer, Charles Woon-A-Tai, Guyana Olympic Association’s president Juman Yassin, Guyana National Rifle Association’s vice-president Neville Denny, Dr. Gem Fletcher, Guyana Swimming Association’s vice-president Stephanie Fraser, Dr. Frank Anthony, Guyana Cricket Board’s president Chetram Singh, consultant in the ministry of sports Wendy Seward and Director of Sports Neil Kumar.
According to the first schedule of the NSC’s act 23 of 1993, the commission shall consist of not less than six members or more than 11 and the members shall be appointed by the minister of sports for a period not less than two years.
The minister also appoints the chairman while the members elects a vice-chairman.
