Yesterday the Petra Organisation in collaboration with the Ministry of Education commissioned a lighting system at the Ministry of Education Ground’s on Carifesta Avenue, Georgetown.
The initiative was made possible through a public/private partnership between Ministry and the organisation. Delivering brief remarks at the simple but important event, Minister of Education, Nicolette Henry said that the commissioning of the lighting system is an important event in the history of education development.
She told those in attendance that the government of Guyana is very interested in merging sports with education and culture so as to produce young people that are holistically developed.
Minister Henry added that the event signals the partnership between sports and education and represents a new pathway towards providing improved facilities to foster the development of sports.
The persons that will use the venue will have more time to work on their skill and fitness levels since the facility can now be used for extended hours, according to the Minister.
Those in attendance, which included primarily persons in the football fraternity were assured by the Minister that the Ministry of Education will continue to work to give young people the best opportunity to develop in sport.
According to Co-Director of the Petra Organisation, Troy Mendonca, the installation of the lighting system represents the mandate of the organisation to use sports as a vehicle for the development of football from the under 11 to the senior level.
Mendonca explained that Petra has been using the Ministry of Education ground for the past five years for the Milo and Smalta sponsored football competitions. He said that during that time the organisation noted the importance of lights and the convenience it would offer.
Mendonca said that the organisation approached the Ministry of Education to collaborate and the permission was granted to install the lights on the ground. He said that this could not be possible without the support of sponsors Beepats and Ansa McAl and friends in the sports fraternity.