A total of G$8 billion has been allocated in the National Budget 2025 for the continued advancement of sport.
Finance Minister Dr. Ashni Singh announced this during his presentation at the Arthur Chung Conference Center, Liliendaal, on Friday.
Under the theme ‘a secure, prosperous, and sustainable Guyana’, this year’s allocation to sport significantly exceeded the record sum of $4.6 billion in 2024.
“Like so many other sectors, the sports sector is also undergoing a complete revolution in this period of Guyana’s history. At no other time in our country’s history has there been so rapid an expansion and update in sports facilities and creation of so many opportunities for our sportsmen and women.”, Dr. Singh stated.
The Finance Minister revealed that $5B was spent on transforming the sector in 2024 after the addition of supplementary funds was approved.
The People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) government’s 2025 sports agenda includes the completion of the stadium in Palmyra and the commencement of a new international stadium at Crane, West Coast Demerara.
To complete ancillary works at Palmyra and related activities, $2 billion is budgeted.
Furthermore, $1.3 billion has been allocated to complete multi-purpose sports facilities at Anna Regina, Bayroc, Mackenzie, and New Amsterdam and multi-purpose sports halls in Leonora, Lethem, Mabaruma, Mahdia, and Mongrippa Hill.
The Finance Minister further revealed that $100 million has been budgeted for the continued work on the Cricket Academy at Good Hope, East Coast Demerara.
Finance Minister Dr. Ashni Singh during the presentation of the 2025 National Budget (Photo: News Room/ January 17, 2025)
$2 billion has been allocated to continue developing community grounds, with 450 grounds benefiting in 2024. $1 billion is also included for procuring and installing lights on grounds nationwide.
Dr. Singh reflected that Guyana hosted 29 international sport events, including the qualifiers and finals of the Caribbean Premier League’s T20 competition and securing the right to host the finals in 2025.
Another signal event was the launch of Guyana’s Global Super League, which included five leading T20 teams worldwide.
Additionally, in 2024, 2024 a team of specialized coaches from the US was recruited to assess 200 of Guyana’s top young track and field athletes to identify talent from within our existing pool who could potentially gain scholarships and train overseas.
A multi-stakeholder group identified 23 athletes for specialized training.
This year, the government aims to work with the specialised coaches in Phase 2 to develop an elite training programme for athletes and coaches to improve the prospects for athletes and create an Olympic team for 2028.
Similar targeted initiatives are being rolled out across several sporting disciplines. For example, work is currently underway in basketball to design a program to mobilise broader participation and nurture and spot talent.
To this end, tarmacs will be constructed nationwide at schools and other venues, hoops will be installed, and coaching will be provided to encourage widespread interest and participation.
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