More than 700 Indigenous athletes from all ten regions of Guyana have descended on the capital as the 2026 Amerindian Heritage Games officially got underway at the Everest Cricket Ground on Camp Road.
Widely regarded as the country’s premier multi-sport event, the flagship tournament kicked off on Thursday after an opening ceremony featuring a display by Guyana Defence Force paratroopers and a colourful march-past celebrating athletes from across the nation.
Permanent Secretary Ryan Toolsiram and Member of Parliament Alister Charlie formally initiated proceedings on the field.
Athletes who battled through rigorous regional qualifying tournaments will spend the coming days competing across four core disciplines: football, cricket, volleyball, and archery.
Every sporting category features dedicated male and female divisions competing for points, with all tournament finals set to culminate on Sunday.
For many competitors, the games represent far more than a weekend of silverware.
Minister of Amerindian Affairs, Sarah Browne-Shadeek—herself a former competitor who lined up on the pitch as a footballer in previous editions—emphasised the transformative power of grassroots competition.
“Sports in our villages have become indispensable in our daily lives,” Minister Browne-Shadeek said, noting that the national stage provides a critical platform for talent to be showcased and scouted to higher levels of competition.
Performing the functions of President, Prime Minister Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips officially declared the games open, reaffirming the administration’s pledge to deliver resources, infrastructure, and elite coaching far beyond the coast.
“You have a government that is connected to the people—a government that will continue to support the development of sports in all your communities, in every region, every part of Guyana,” Prime Minister Phillips said. “No longer must development be centred only on the coastline. Development must reach the communities in the hinterland.”
Minister within the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport, Steven Jacobs, reinforced the focus on long-term athlete development, confirming that talent scouts are actively monitoring fixtures to integrate standout performers into national development programs.
“We have various talent scouts on the ground observing matches across all disciplines this weekend,” Minister Jacobs said.
“Our priority is to ensure that raw talent identified in our hinterland communities doesn’t stop at regional competition, but is channelled directly into the country’s national sports academy structures where athletes can access structured high-performance coaching and elite resources.”
Minister of Culture, Youth & Sport Charles Ramson Jr. echoed these sentiments, noting that the government continues to deliver on its promises to Amerindian communities by pairing grassroots access with structured pathways into elite sport.
Source: NEW ROOMS SITE
