Sporting Renaissance: New Stadiums and Facilities Ignite Guyana’s Athletic Potential

NEW AMSTERDAM, Region 6 – On the eastern bank of the Berbice River, steel beams are rising where sugar cane once grew, shaping the outline of what will soon be Guyana’s second international cricket stadium. This modern facility at Palmyra, Berbice, is just one part of a nationwide sports infrastructure boom unfolding under the current administration. From synthetic athletics tracks in Linden and New Amsterdam to dozens of upgraded community grounds countrywide, Guyana is witnessing an unprecedented investment in sports that officials and athletes alike say will unlock new opportunities. “We’re transforming the sporting landscape from coast to interior,” declared Minister of Sport Charles Ramson Jr., who noted over GY$4.3 billion was poured into sports in 2023 alone and even more in 2024.

The approach is comprehensive: rehabilitate or build facilities for every major sport and at multiple levels. In 2023, the government upgraded 65 community grounds in Berbice and another 34 around Georgetown, installing lights and amenities to enable night games and broader use. Many of these grounds had been in disrepair for years. Now local youths can play football or cricket in the evenings under floodlights, something previously only possible at a handful of venues. “It’s an amazing feeling to play on a lit field in front of your home crowd,” says 17-year-old Javid, a footballer from Port Mourant whose village ground got a facelift. The government allocated an additional GY$400 million this year for community ground upgrades, ensuring the work continues.

For track and field athletes, two new synthetic 400m tracks have been game changers. Linden (Region 10) – known as a hotbed for sprinters – finally got its track in late 2023, complete with stadium lighting to FIFA standards. Meanwhile, New Amsterdam (Region 6) is watching its own all-weather track take shape at Burnham Park. Guyana’s athletes long struggled training on grass or uneven surfaces; now they can practice and host meets on par with international norms. The difference was evident at this year’s National Schools Championship: times improved and fewer injuries occurred, credited to the Linden synthetic track. “Our athletes are benefiting enormously,” confirms Athletics Coach Julian Edmonds. “We’re already seeing better sprint performances.” These tracks, along with an existing one in Leonora (Region 3), mean athletes in three counties have access to quality facilities – a first for Guyana.

Cricket, the national sport, is perhaps seeing the most high-profile upgrades. Providence Stadium near Georgetown has been the lone international venue since 2007; now, two more stadiums are underway. In Anna Regina (Region 2) and Linden (Region 10), massive new multi-purpose stadiums are being constructed. These will serve cricket primarily but can host football and cultural events too. Then there’s the dedicated Berbice Cricket Stadium at Palmyra – eagerly anticipated by fans in Guyana’s second-most populous county. Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo noted that foundation work began in 2023 and the project is well underway. “For the first time, international matches will come to Berbice,” Jagdeo said, referencing that historically all big games were in Georgetown. Locals like 65-year-old Ram, a diehard cricket fan from Rose Hall, are ecstatic. “We won’t have to travel hours to see the West Indies play; it’ll be in our backyard,” he grinned. The economic spin-offs are notable too: hotels in Berbice are already popping up in anticipation of sports tourism and events at the new venues.

The government’s inclusive approach even extends to hinterland and indigenous communities. Through a special program, each Amerindian village was given funds specifically for sports development – totaling GY$200 million across communities. At the recent National Toshaos Council meeting, it was highlighted that many villages are using these grants to create or improve village sports grounds and buy equipment. For example, Kamarang in Region 7 constructed a proper volleyball and futsal court; Annai in Region 9 purchased a boat to transport its teams to regional tournaments. “Sports unites our youth and these investments show they’re not forgotten,” said Toshao Lennox Shuman. It’s a point not lost on observers that traditionally opposition-leaning areas (like Linden and New Amsterdam towns, or hinterland villages) are receiving marquee sports projects – a sign the PPP/C government aims to spread benefits widely, including to regions outside its core base.

All this infrastructure is being coupled with training and programs. The Sports Ministry reintroduced national sports academies for coaching in cricket, football, athletics, swimming and more. International experts have been brought in for clinics, something facilitated by having improved facilities to host them. The goal, officials say, is not just to build structures but to build talent. They’re already eyeing the 2028 Olympics and 2030 FIFA World Cup qualifiers with higher hopes. Guyana’s cricket team (part of the West Indies system) too could benefit – imagine hosting a Test match in Berbice, inspiring a new generation of cricketers from that area.

Perhaps the most immediate impact, though, is on community life and youth engagement. On any given night now in communities from Skeldon to Tuschen, you’ll find kids and adults alike utilizing the rejuvenated grounds – playing five-a-side football under lights or families watching village teams compete. In an era where social ills and idle time can plague youth, sports provides a constructive outlet. “We’ve seen a drop in petty delinquency since the ground got fixed; kids are too busy practicing,” notes a constable in Corentyne only half-jokingly. The intangible benefits – discipline, teamwork, local pride – are sowing seeds for societal gains.

Guyana, flush with oil revenues, has made a deliberate choice to invest in sports, and it shows. From gleaming new stadium designs on paper to the thud of real footsteps on brand-new tracks, the country is moving confidently into a golden era for athletics. Where once local athletes dreamed of facilities abroad, now those facilities are coming to them. As one sports journalist remarked, “It’s as if Guyana woke up and realized its athletic potential – and is building the fields of dreams to finally realize it.”