Guyana’s Interschools Games and National Secondary School Championship Games will be held earlier than usual to give athletes more time to prepare for the 2027 CARIFTA Games.
Minister of Education, Sonia Parag made the announcement on Wednesday, during the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding and launch engagement for the 2027 CARIFTA Games, which will be hosted in Guyana for the first time ever.
“So, this year, the Interschools Games will be in October, that is going to lead to the National Secondary School Championship Games which will be held on the 3rd to the 5th of March, 2027. That is going to help our athletes to align themselves to the CARIFTA Games that will be held at Easter,” she said.
She stated that the National Secondary School Championship Games will be hosted in Linden at the Bayrock facility, giving athletes from the mining town an opportunity to compete on home turf.
The minister added that the decision to take the championships to Linden forms part of a broader effort to make sporting facilities and opportunities more accessible to young athletes.
“I will say that 2027 is a great year for sports,” she emphasised, particularly with Guyana set to host the CARIFTA Games.
The minister said the regional competition will provide another avenue for students emerging from the Interschools Games and national championships to advance their sporting careers.
“It doesn’t just stop at nationals,” she said, explaining that strong performances can open opportunities for athletes to compete at higher levels and pursue scholarships.
The minister added that the link between sport and education is particularly important for students seeking to further their studies through athletic scholarships.
“When they perform, they perform well, it also opens educational opportunities such as scholarships. And a lot of students who are into sports actually go through that entire process hoping to achieve a scholarship and hoping to further their studies however they do, whatever their interest is through that channel,” she said.
The hosting of CARIFTA 2027, she added, will therefore be significant not only for Guyana’s sporting community but also for students seeking greater opportunities through sport.