NCN

Volleyball federation to benefit from synthetic floor at gymnasium

The Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport has, in recent years, invested huge sums for the resuscitation of sports and sporting activities for youths across the country. These investments have realised a number of sporting equipment being donated to varying athletic groups and schools through the length and breadth of Guyana. Continuing along this trend, Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Dr. Frank Anthony commissioned a synthetic floor at the National Gymnasium, Mandela Avenue and Princess streets today. The synthetic floor came as a donation to the Guyana Government, particularly the Guyana Volley Ball Federation from the International Volley Ball Federation, to assist local players in elevating the standards of the game.

The installation of the floor comes on the heels of the Ministry of Culture Youth and Sport’s investment of approximately $15M for the complete rehabilitation of the National Gymnasium, which forms part of an initiative to boost sports and the sporting sector. This recent contribution will benefit the National Volleyball Federation, as it would also assist in their preparations for international competitions.

Minister Anthony said “this forms part of the government’s policies and plans to invest resources into the resuscitation of school sports”. Towards this end, in recent years, the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport has worked closely with the Chess Federation and the revival of chess as a game, which now attracts 100 schools playing chess after 3000 chess boards would have been distributed throughout Guyana. Further the Minister noted that the sport of table tennis was revived when 30 boards were distributed to schools last year, with an additional 40 boards expected into the country soon.

“It’s not only giving people access to equipment but we are also putting programmes in place by training coaches, hosting competitions for the varying sport forms…We have seen that this has been making a difference in the game…This is one way in which we can now assist with the redevelopment of volleyball,” Minister Anthony said. Minister Anthony further alluded to other significant investments made to the sporting fraternity, which saw quite recently, table tennis players benefitting from the commissioning of a squash court. President of the Guyana Volley Ball Federation, Leny Shuffler expressed gratitude to the Minister and his ministry for their initiative which he says will be an asset to sports, particularly volleyball.

“Having played national volleyball for many years, I found out that concrete was not very friendly to the skins and joints…With this synthetic floor, volleyball will be more enjoyed as the players will have the chance of familiarizing themselves with the surface as part of their preparations for international competitions,” Shuffled noted. The synthetic floor at the gymnasium joins the recently commissioned squash court and the National Aquatic Centre, as new facilities to promote sport. These will soon be joined by a synthetic track on the West Coast of Demerara and a velodrome on the East Coast of Demerara.