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Georgetown, Guyana (Credible Sources) – Shadow Minister of Culture, Youth, and Sport, Hon. Nima Flue-Bess, has strongly condemned the rescheduling of the 2025 National Schools Athletics, Swimming, and Cycling Championships, calling it a blatant attack on Guyana’s sporting traditions and a move that will weaken grassroots athletics.
Flue-Bess, a former student-athlete and sports educator, expressed outrage over the disruption of a decades-old system. “For decades, school sports have been held in the first term, allowing athletes to train adequately while teachers and districts plan well in advance,” she stated. However, in September 2024, schools were abruptly informed that Nationals would be moved to accommodate the Guyana CARIFTA Games selection process.
She argued that this decision disregards the proper development of young athletes and disrupts the school calendar. “The January–April term is already packed with critical activities, including Mashramani competitions, the National Grade Six Assessment, and CSEC practicals. Forcing students and teachers to choose between academics and sports reflects a lack of vision and disrespect for tradition,” she emphasized.
The cancellation of the primary school championship this year drew additional criticism. “This means young athletes who have trained for months won’t even have a chance to compete, simply because the CARIFTA Games don’t cater to their age group. That logic is flawed and short-sighted,” Flue-Bess remarked.
Renowned sports journalist Rawle Toney also took issue with the declining standards in Nationals, particularly the uniform debacle. He noted that North Georgetown (District 11)—one of the most accomplished districts—showed up in knockoff ‘Lakers’ basketball jerseys instead of their traditional colours. “A group of educated individuals somehow thought this was acceptable…Thought, ‘hey, link up China Trading and get 100 Lebron jerseys for Nationals,’” he quipped.
Toney further criticized the Ministry of Education’s handling of funding for athletes and districts, stating that Nationals should have seen better organization, given that only secondary school track and field is being held this year. “Sixty-six years later, and we’re still here,” he said, referencing the long history of the championships.
Veteran sports administrator Edison Jefford described the current state of Nationals as a “hijacking” of nearly two decades of progress. “How one man was allowed to hijack close to two decades of rebuilding a schools’ sport product that would attract big corporate support…remains a mystery,” he lamented. Jefford recalled that the event once had the slogan “Nationals – where stars are born”, reflecting its role as a stepping stone for young athletes.
Both Flue-Bess and other stakeholders have called for immediate intervention to restore Nationals to its traditional format and ensure that young athletes receive the opportunities they deserve. “The Ministry of Education should not be overstepping its role in this process. The Athletic Association of Guyana (AAG) must take full responsibility for organizing corrective trials and selecting the team,” Flue-Bess asserted.
As concerns mount over political interference and administrative mismanagement, the Opposition has vowed to correct these failures if elected to office. “In government, we will ensure that this wrong is corrected immediately,” Flue-Bess declared.
