President Ali announces unitiatives to elevate Indigenous Athletes into national Sports

President Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali has unveiled new measures to ensure indigenous athletes have greater access to Guyana’s national sports programs in cricket, football, and volleyball.

According to the Department of Public Information (DPI), Tte announcement was made during day four of the 2025 Heritage Games on Saturday.

“For far too long, indigenous youth have not had equal opportunities to represent the Golden Arrowhead,” President Ali told DPI. “I’ve asked Minister Charles Ramson, of course, Sarah, and Jacobs, to ensure that our indigenous communities are given an equal chance to represent the Golden Arrowhead in all of our national sports.”

DPI reported that the president has instructed the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) to include a national indigenous team in its competitions and trials.

Retired West Indies captain Ramnaresh Sarwan has been appointed mentor and coach for indigenous cricket talent, while former West Indies cricketer and coach Roger Harper will lead the development of women’s cricket, focusing on indigenous communities.

“He [Sarwan] will be responsible for working with our indigenous boards and groups to select the first indigenous cricket team that will come into the national cricketing infrastructure and be part of those trials,” President Ali said, according to DPI.

The president also issued similar directives to the Football Association and Volleyball Federation to ensure indigenous teams are included in their structures. Equipment handovers for football, volleyball, and cricket were conducted, and by the end of the year, indigenous teams are expected to compete in national tournaments.

It was also noted that President Ali’s initiatives are part of the government’s ‘One Guyana’ vision’, promoting equal opportunities for all citizens.

More than 800 indigenous athletes from Guyana’s ten administrative regions participated in the Heritage Games, with four semifinal football matches held last Saturday.

Minister of Natural Resources Vickram Bharrat, Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport Charles Ramson Jr., Minister within the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport Steven Jacobs, Minister of Labour and Manpower Planning Keoma Griffith, and Minister of Amerindian Affairs Sarah Browne-Shadeek also attended the event.