Gov’t trained 7,000 Guyanese to swim – Min Ramson

Some 7,000 Guyanese are now adept at swimming as a result of the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports’ National Swimming Programme.

Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports Charles Ramson Jnr said the PPP/C government’s significant investment from 2020 to date led to this.

“We have 7000 people who were trained in our national swimming programme…persons who never knew how to swim before. The investments had to lead to somewhere,” he announced at the ministry’s year-end press conference on Friday.

The free training programme is the collaborative efforts of the ministry and the National Sports Commission.

It was rolled out at the National Aquatic Centre (NAC), Liliendaal, Colgrain Pool on Camp Street, Watooka Pool in Linden and the Albion Estate Pool, along the Corentyne Coast.

The programme initially targeted youths between the ages of six to eighteen providing them the opportunity to develop key swimming techniques.

Safety was a major priority during the two-week training programme thereby it allowed for parents to attend and share in the responsibility of safety for the participants.

Subsequently, adults took an interest in the programme resulting in the ministry’s decision to expand the initiative by designing an adult swimming programme.

In addition, the ministry designated open days to allow persons to swim for leisure.

The summer programme is another example of government honouring its commitment to expand the nation’s sports sphere and improve family life and youth development.