Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport Charles Ramson Jr. on Thursday defended government’s investment in sport over the last five years, outlining some of the major achievements during the 2026 National Budget Debate.
Since taking office in 2020, over $20 billion has been allocated for sport development, with the figure moving from $1.5 billion in 2021 to a record-high $8 billion in 2025.
In the $1.558 trillion budget presented for 2026, $6 billion has been earmarked for sport, a figure that represents a calculated pivot from building stadiums to filling them with athletes.
Several stadiums will be commissioned in the coming months, starting with Bayroc Track and Field facility this weekend. Other stadiums at Anna Regina, New Amsterdam, Palmyra and Mackenzie are on course for completion this year.
In terms of investment at the grassroots level, Minister Ramson Jr. told the House that investment was made in over 600 community grounds under the Ground Enhancement Programme over the last five years, with another $1.3 billion budgeted for this purpose in 2026.
Lights to facilitate night activities have been installed at 145 of those grounds, the minister highlighted, adding that over the last five years the government also introduced the National Sports Academy, categorising the various disciplines as core and non-core sports.
Delving into numbers, Minister Ramson Jr. related that Guyanese athletes copped over 1,000 medals at regional and international events over the last three years, a direct result of the administration’s investment in the country’s sportsmen and women.
“We have spent over a billon dollars on sport associations and teams leaving this country over the last five years,” the minister said, adding that the associations have all welcomed the 2026 budget “because they know how they benefitted.”
Guyana hosted 29 major regional and international sport events in 2024 and that number rose to 33 in 2025 as efforts continue to make the country a hub for sport.
“That is driving tourism in our country,” Ramson Jr. declared.
The minister highlighted the CPL Finals, Under-19 and Men’s T20 World Cups and CAC Bodybuilding Championship, as well as the visits by two-time Olympic 400m hurdles champion Felix Sanchez and Basketball Hall of Famer Hakeem Olajuwan as some of the major events hosted by Guyana.
Additionally, Ramson Jr. reminded the House of government’s strategic investment in world champion bodybuilder Rosanna Fung, the construction of the Caribbean’s first-ever public doubles squash courts, the platform for over 15,000 persons (including Persons with Disabilities) in the Learn to Swim programme, the re-introduction of the Inter-Guiana Games, the first-ever ‘black tie’ sport awards in 2024 and the “unprecedented” distribution of sport gear.
More support
Opposition Parliamentarian Odessa Primus of the We Invest In Nationhood, in an impassioned maiden address, rallied for more support to be given to athletes and coaches.
“We have coaches who dedicate their lives to the children in this country. I have never met a wealthy coach in my life in this country. Never. And those are people who give, who assist, who aid in ensuring our athletes go out there and do well.”
Primus added that there must a policy on how to properly reward athletes, noting that it should be more than just a welcome home ceremony.
She also advocated for a more structured ground enhancement initiative, one that caters for accompanying amenities to ensure athletes train and compete in comfort.
“Nobody is saying that we don’t appreciate the work that the ministry is doing, but we would appreciate greatly if it is done with holistic thought,” Primus told the House.
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