Guyana should strive for peace and unity in sport
-- US Ambassador
By Leeron Brumell
Guyana Chronicle
February 15, 2004
‘PEACE and Unity should be achieved, quite characteristic of the Olympic Games when it was first started in Greece,” was the focus of the feature address made by U.S. Ambassador to Guyana, His Excellency Roland Bullen.
The ambassador based his message on the history of the Olympics that will return to its birthplace this year.
In his very brief address at the Guyana Olympic Association (GOA) awards ceremony, held at the Georgetown Club, Friday evening, Bullen said that Guyana should strive to achieve the same since it is the way forward not only for sports but also for the country on the whole.
Kaieteur News’ senior reporter Claude David copped the Sports Journalist-of-the-Year award, a double for him, since he also won the National Sports Commission (NSC) journalist award.
General Secretary of the GOA, Ivor O’Brien, was the GOA Council Member-of-the-Year and NSC Administrative Manager, George Green, was presented with an award for Sporting Excellence, while bouquets were presented to Commonwealth gold medallist Aliann Pompey and sister Allison, Hilda Cox-Bullen, Bernadette Juman-Yassin and Sharon Lewis, manager of the Michael Parris Fitness Centre.
Remarks were also made by GOA boss, K. Juman-Yassin, who said he was looking forward to better relations with the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport.
“The Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport had not done much for sport last year, however I’m looking forward to working closer with them this year,” Yassin noted as he said that Minister Gail Teixeira was unable to make the ceremony at the last minute, something he said has coincidentally happened for the third year running.
Yassin in his remarks also touched on the stadium issues, opining that he has his reservations of a stadium for cricket only. This he said should not be done; rather a multi-purpose stadium should be built to facilitate the playing of many other sports.
The GOA boss also noted that Pompey was awarded a scholarship from February to July 2003 of US$1,000 sponsored by Olympic Solidarity.
Yassin said too that Marian Burnette who is performing well in the USA would be given half of what Pompey is receiving to aid her education. That half would be paid by the GOA.
The two sent to the governing body applications, which were recommended by the GOA, but Pompey gained the edge in securing the scholarship.
General secretary Ivor O’Brien gave the report on the GOA’s activities for last year.