President Ali announces formation of Indigenous teams to contest cricket, football and volleyball

The national sporting base is set to be expanded after President Dr. Irfaan Ali announced a landmark initiative to create dedicated Indigenous national teams across three major disciplines.

Speaking at the Amerindian Heritage Games on Saturday, President Ali confirmed that the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport has been tasked with immediately developing Indigenous squads for football, cricket, and volleyball, with basketball planned to follow.

The initiative aims to establish national tournaments to ensure the full integration of these teams, providing a clear pathway for athletes from Indigenous communities to compete at the highest national level.

President Ali has enlisted the support of two former West Indies cricket stalwarts to ensure the success of the talent identification and development process.

Former West Indies captain Ramnaresh Sarwan has been asked to lead the mentorship and scouting for the male Indigenous cricketers.

Sarwan’s remit will cover working with regional bodies nationwide to select the first national Indigenous cricket team to compete in formal national tournaments.

On the women’s front, former West Indies player and coach Roger Harper will oversee the development of women’s cricket across the country, with a special emphasis on scouting and nurturing Indigenous female talent.

“For too long, our indigenous athletes did not get the opportunity that other athletes had to represent Guyana,” President Ali stated.

“I have tasked Minister Charles Ramson, Minister Jacobs, and Minister Sarah Browne-Shadeek to ensure equal opportunity for indigenous communities to represent the golden arrowhead in all national sports.”

Creating these dedicated teams marks a decisive push to broaden the player base and ensure greater representation across Guyana’s competitive sporting structure.