The Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport on Wednesday made a ceremonial presentation to former boxer Michael Parris, as a signal of his involvement in future activities of the Ministry.
Parris is Guyana’s lone Olympic medallist, having won a bronze in the 1980 Games in Russia.
Sport Minister Charles Ramson Jr. said Parris would be featured more prominently at the annual Sport Conference, slated for October this year.
To mark the moment, Minister Ramson Jr., in the company of Director of Sport Steve Ninvalle, presented Parris with a locally designed sculpture, depicting a mother and a child, and a cheque for an undisclosed sum.
“Michael has said to me many times he always felt as though he was never really recognised ever since he got his bronze medal, and of course that is something that would not sit nicely with me because we’re on a trajectory now in the Ministry where we’re looking to develop the programmes that will help us to become more competitive at the international level.
He added, “I met with Michael and I wanted the public to know that we’re making this presentation to him. It’s going to be a double presentation- we’re going to be having our Sport Conference later this year, slated for around October, and that is when we would want Michael to be featured more prominently in front of all the Sports Associations and Federations.”
“So, this here is just functioning as a signal to the public about where the Ministry and the Government of Guyana stand in relation to making this presentation to Michael, and to signal to young people that when they do well, they should always be recognised.”
Parris said: “I hope this token will help inspire the young men and women to use the opportunity to go out and receive medals at the CAC, Commonwealth and Olympic Games, to come back and receive what Michael Parris received.”
Describing Parris as one who “stands out as a legend in sport in this county”, Ninvalle, who is also president of the Guyana Boxing Association, indicated that the ministry “sees it fit to engage him.”
The Sport Conference
The first-ever Guyana Sport Conference was held at the National Cultural Centre on October 2, 2021, and Minister Ramson Jr. described it as fulfilling, given it presented a platform for the administrators of the 12 core sports to engage others and learn from the successes, failures and critical matters regarding policies.
The core sports currently identified by the Ministry are: Badminton, Basketball, Cricket, Squash, Table Tennis, Rugby, Volleyball, Swimming, Football, Hockey, Lawn Tennis and Track and Field.
Minister Ramson Jr. clarified that these were just the initial disciplines chosen and going forward, others will be added or subtracted based on needs and facilities.
