Press Release: UG honours outstanding athletes; scholarships, improved sports facilities, robust sports policy among initiatives to push sport development

Last Updated on Sunday, 18 February 2024, 8:05 by Denis Chabrol

The University of Guyana recently hosted its Annual Sports Awards ceremony which saw several of the University’s outstanding athletes being honoured for their grit, determination and drive to be on top of their game.  During a simple ceremony hosted at the University’s Education Lecture Theatre, Turkeyen Campus, several initiatives were laid out by the University’s administration all aimed at  seeing  a strategic and more focused approach to the development of sports at the University.  

UG’s Vice-Chancellor Prof. Paloma Mohamed Martin congratulated all the athletes and urged them to keep aiming for high standards and to continue to represent their faculties, the university and country well. The VC said that in spite of limited resources, the university’s administration will continue to engage with its various development partners to acquire the resources needed to ensure that athletes are afforded the opportunity to develop themselves both in sports and academics.

The VC pointed to countries that are not so wealthy but they have managed to identify, groom, support and create athletes who excel internationally. “We just don’t want to support athletes.

who are doing sports now, we want to make sure that we have an infrastructure, that we understand the infrastructure, the academic and policy architecture, and the way in which human beings who are able to excel and do the things that these athletes are able to, and what kind of an enabling environment is required for them to do this”. 

According to the VC, the University is actively looking at several initiatives to push the development of sports, these include; enhancing the physical conditions for sports on the University’s campuses, setting the policy architecture in place that would see all students who desire to develop themselves in sports get an equal opportunity to do so, and offering students scholarships to advance their academic endeavours.   

UG’s Registrar, Dr Nigel Gravesande noted that sports at a tertiary educational institution such as UG requires broad collaboration with various stakeholders such as students, the administration of the university, coaches, the various national organisations, “all coming together in a synergistic fashion” to complement the efforts of the University. He said: “We are moving away from the notion that sports, once considered an extra curricula activity, is now being acknowledged by the administration and the students themselves, as being a vital component of a student’s holistic growth.”   

Board Member of the Regional Anti-Doping Organisation and the evening’s Guest Speaker, Dr Karen Pilgrim underscored the importance of athletes being discipline in everything that they undertake and to balance well their academic and sports endeavours. Dr Pilgrim lauded the University for the actions it is taking to ensure that students are provided with the necessary support to succeed in sports and academics.  

Head of the UG’s Sports Department, Jaime Skeete, offered congratulations and best wishes to the athletes and noted that the department will continue to work with the Registry’s Students Welfare Division to ensure that athletes are given the opportunities and support they need to develop themselves.  

Please see below for the full Trophies and Medals List: 

Inter-Faculty Cricket (Academic Year 2022 – 2023) 

Winner: University of Guyana Berbice Campus  

Runner-up: Faculty of Education and Humanities 

Best Batsman: Philbert Wilburgh (UGBC) 

Best Bowler: Davindranauth Sewnauth (UGBC)  

Inter-Faculty Dominoes (Academic Year 2019 – 2020)

Winner: Faculty of Education and Humanities 

Inter-Faculty Dominoes (Academic Year 2022 – 2023) 

Winner: College of Behavioural Sciences and Research – (Orrinthia Bishop, Talecia Benn, Latoya Lopes, Keshone Marshall, Jeneisa Massiah, Jammal Whitehead

Runner-up: University of Guyana Staff – Brian Williams, Philbert Clarke, Mark Scott, Evard Semple, Melinda Williams, Devon Nurse, Renick Alleyne, Mitchroy Dennis

UoG King and Queen Chess Tournament (Academic Year 2022 – 2023)

Chess King

Winner – Keron Sandiford 

Runner-up – Murphy Bagot 

Chess Queen

Winner – Sasha Shariff 

Runner-up – Britney Bovell 

UoG King and Queen Scrabble Tournament (Academic Year 2022 – 2023)

Scrabble King

Winner- Joel Persaud 

Runner-up –  Kwasi Benjamin 

Scrabble Queen

Winner – Cassidy Burnett 

Runner-up – Bhomini Babulall 

Outstanding Team Performance for Academic Year 2022 – 2023: University of Guyana Trojans Basketball Team 

World University Games Chengdu Delegation: Certificate of Participation (Noelex Holder, Shimar Velloza, Elishaba Johnson, Niran Bissu, Leoni Adams, Malinda Williams)

University of Guyana Women in Sport Appreciation: 

• Ruth Sanmoogan – Outstanding Contribution and Performance in Sports from 2017 – 2021 
• Female Participation in Sports Certificates – Odella Hilken and Keisha Higgins, Faculty of Education and Humanities 

Please view the awards ceremony here: https://youtu.be/9Dn6cWfzVkw