Central Mahaicony community ground now lit
DPI, Guyana, Thursday, November 28, 2019
Equipped with ten brand new one-thousand-watt lamps, the Central Mahaicony Community Centre Ground, on Wednesday night, joined the long list of community grounds that have benefitted from the National Sports Commission’s ‘Light it up campaign’ aimed at facilitating night training by athletes.
This initiative was a collaborative effort between the Sports Commission and Youth Go, an organisation created by the young people of the community working to develop the area.
Director of Sport Christopher Jones said this initiative will provide a safe space for the young people to practice and foster their talents.
“Essentially what we are doing here is in keeping with the APNU+AFC’s manifesto which stated sport for all, and throughout the length and breadth of the country, rehabilitation has been ongoing. We will continue to provide these services; this is just a start…there is a lot more to be done.”
Jones disclosed that community grounds in Rosignol, Villages Numbers 5, 8 and 28 as well as Ross and Tempest among others will soon benefit from the campaign. He added that there are plans to take this development a step further with the establishment of a mini stadium in Sub-district One.
The Department of Public Information spoke to some of the residents who shared their thoughts on this initiative.
Tadeus Kahai, a resident of the Central Mahaicony community for more than 20 years said that he often missed the opportunity to enjoy a game or two of basketball. “Now that the lights are here finally thanks to the coalition government, we can enjoy a nice sweat in the evening when we are home.”
Berkland Sobers noted that now the one will easily find the youths of the community at the ground playing. “I have been living in this community for 34 years now and right now, I am elated and overjoyed…we have been asking for these lights for a very long time and now our call has been answered thanks to the government they have delivered on their promise,” Sobers said.
Launched in 2017, the Light It Up programme has seen the NSC installing lights in scores of community ground across the country with the aim to foster and develop sporting talent at the community level in Guyana.
A total of $38Million was spent to procure the lights and supplies for various grounds across the country for 2018 and 2019.