Mayor urges children to stay away from crime

“CRIMINAL activities should not have any place in your lives.” This was advice Chaguanas Mayor Adrian Boodhan gave to hundreds of children at a sports caravan held at the Pierre Road Recreation Grounds in Chaguanas yesterday. The caravan which was attended by students between the ages of 6-14 was hosted by the Chaguanas Borough Corporation in collaboration with the Civil Affairs Unit of the US Embassy.

Yesterday marked the second phase of the sports caravan since inception two Saturdays ago at the Enterprise Recreational Grounds, Chaguanas. Children have been introduced to a variety of new sports such as; frisbee, handball, American flag football and more. Girls and boys who participated have received hands-on training by international coaches. Boodhan yesterday told Sunday Newsday that his aim was to continue to find positive avenues to engage children and lead them away from a life of crime. The sports caravan, he said, is geared to allow children the opportunity to experience new sports recognised by other cultures. Boodhan said there were many opportunities in the sports as he encouraged parents to get their children involved in sports at a young age.

“We want to continue to create positivity in all the communities by instilling discipline in our children. The sports caravan is a different approach.”

He added that the response had been remarkable. “Today we had 120 children, all whom are eager and excited to learn about these new sports.”

Boodhan said, while the law enforcement agencies had their part to play in the fight against crime, the Borough also had a role to play.

He said plans were also being made for continued partnership with the US Embassy, and other sporting agencies to introduce the same American based sports throughout communities. Councillor for the area Debideen Manick, who was also present, commended officials at the US Embassy for partnering with the Borough.