Olympic Association partners with University of Guyana to advance sports

The Executive Committee of the Guyana Olympic Association and the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Guyana, Professor Paloma Mohamed, met on 9th August, 2023 at the Turkeyen Campus, to collaborate on a number of sports related issues.

President of the Guyana Olympic Association, Mr. Godfrey Munroe, led his Team comprising Vice-Presidents of the G.O.A., Mr. Steve Ninvalle and Ms. Cristy Campbell and Secretary-General Ms. Vidushi Persaud-McKinnon.

The meeting was geared, with the central objective of exploring possible avenues/opportunities for collaborative and development of synergistic partnerships/agreement between the University of Guyana, the Guyana Olympic Association and by extension our affiliate members, in the area of sports and academia. In this regard the following areas were discussed in-depth:

• Establishment of a framework at the different faculty levels for the selection of areas of research, project student assignments that benefit sports and enhance the performance of athletes and national federations and University of Guyana sports programme. These would target the areas of marketing, sociology, communications strategy, strategic planning, computer science in the areas of software and database development, website social media engagement and use, science technology in the areas of natural science areas, biomechanics physiology nutrition areas among other faculty areas.
• Assisting the University with sports development, through the support from programs the GOA can access through support funding provisions available through Olympic Solidarity, Panam sport and through support from affiliate associations/federations in helping to develop the University’s sports programmes.
• Developing Internships and scholarship partnerships among other areas

Dr. Mohamed gave an overview of the university’s sports programmes (academic and practical), and also highlighted key partnerships being pursued and developed with the University of Wisconsin to propel curricula in sports studies and other areas. Here she intimated that the University is embarking on creating and undertaking a paradigm shift in operations with sports becoming an integral part of student activities.

She also outlined the intention to develop sport fundamentals and sport facilities on campus through support funding arrangements being currently explored, as means of enhancing and improving the student experience and development.

The two entities further discussed the approaches protocols strategies to be adopted in accelerating the collaboration, the specific areas for immediate intervention and next steps.

The Executive Committee announced the recent Commonwealth Games Federation’s Approval of the Equip Programme for Guyana and as such, in the very near future, they will seek to recruit a suitable candidate for internship from the University of Guyana pool of student/alumni. To support the developmental work of the Guyana Olympic Association through support funding provided by CGF Equip programme

Both organisations shared and intrinsically believe that the collaboration between the University of Guyana and the Guyana Olympic Association can yield significant benefits in the following areas;

• Creating a cultural shift in the integration and use of data, research and scientific approaches to guide and inform sports development and performance.
• Create networks and clusters of personnel and different actors that come together to boost innovation in the sport sector with university of Guyana and GOA playing a key role.
• Shape policy that enhances and improve sports development among other areas.

The two organisations resolved to working out details for an MOA to be signed, which will guide the collaboration between the two entities.