February 25, 2025
The Guyana Amateur Swimming Association (GASA) is set to implement a series of key measures recommended by PANAM Aquatics, the regional governing body for swimming.
These measures aim to enhance transparency, fairness, and responsiveness within the local swimming administration.
The initiative is part of a broader effort to ensure GASA regains formal recognition from both the Guyana Olympic Association (GOA) and the National Sports Commission (NSC).
The recommendations were presented during a general council meeting on February 24, 2025, for member review and action.
Among the key directives, GASA has been tasked with establishing and publishing a calendar of domestic events, complete with a prospectus detailing registration deadlines, competition rules, and event guidelines.
The association must also ensure the adoption of non-discriminatory policies for athlete selection.
The selection criteria must be made publicly available to ensure a fair and transparent process for determining Guyana’s swimming representatives.
Additionally, GASA has been urged to establish a grievance procedure with clear de-escalation protocols to allow for fair hearings of member concerns.
The association must also immediately reinstate clubs previously affiliated with GASA and collaborate with both member clubs and the government to ensure fair and balanced access to swimming facilities.
These measures follow a period of administrative challenges for GASA.
In September 2024, the NSC removed swimming as a core sport after repeated intervention attempts.
Earlier, in May 2024, the Ministry of Culture, Youth, and Sport announced that it would not provide financial support to GASA due to concerns over irregularities in the association’s administration.
The GOA subsequently withdrew its recognition of GASA as a sports body in good standing, intensifying the organization’s challenges.
Tensions escalated further when national swimmer Delroy Tyrrell expressed frustration over his inability to switch allegiance from Trinidad and Tobago to represent Guyana.
The situation worsened when the Dolphin and Trident swim clubs were banned for one and two years, respectively, following allegations of disrupting a competition in protest against GASA’s administration.
With these new reforms, PANAM Aquatics aims to guide GASA toward regaining credibility and re-establishing its status within the national sporting framework.