As Guyana eagerly awaits the presentation of the national budget on Monday, January 15, sports associations express excitement and high expectations for the 2024 budget allocation dedicated to the sports sector. NCN Sport has reached out to key officials to gather their perspectives on the upcoming budget.
President of the Guyana Football Federation, Wayne Forde, anticipates another historic year for football with a positive budgetary allocation.
Forde highlights the football fraternity’s optimism and expectations for increased support from the budget.
Former cricket commentator and analyst, Joseph “Reds” Pereira, commends the works carried out by the sports ministry financed through the 2023 allocation.
He expresses satisfaction, stating, “Everyone is impressed.”
Aleem Hussain, President of the Guyana Golf Association, expects another sizable increase in the budget and commends the efforts in infrastructure development.
He emphasizes the importance of the budget in supporting athlete development and enhancing sports infrastructure.
In 2023, the sports sector received a historic 4.3-billion-dollar budgetary allocation, with a primary focus on infrastructural transformation.
Major projects included a new racquet facility, completion of the synthetic track in Linden, resurfacing of the national track and field facility on the West Demerara, renovation of the Cliff Anderson Sport Hall, installation of AC, and acquisition of new pump and timing systems at the National Aquatic Center.
The budget also addressed the upgrading of community grounds around the country with an allocation of 250 million dollars.
Notable initiatives such as the State-of-the-Art Stadium at Palmyra and the establishment of the National Cricket Academy at Providence were part of the budget allocation.
Guyana’s active participation in various sports events, including the Inter Guiana Games, hosting the Caribbean Premier League finals, and funding teams for international competitions, showcased the impact of the budget.
The Director of Sports also provided financial support to eight sports associations at the end of the year to aid equipment purchases.
As the sports community looks forward to the 2024 budget announcement, there is optimism for continued support and development in the sector.