Ramnaresh Sarwan, now a prolific businessman in Guyana.

Former international cricketer and West Indies captain Ramnaresh Sarwan, after retiring with an impressive record, is now the proud owner of ‘Amazonia Mall’ in Providence, East Bank Demerara.

The former West Indies player in an interview with the Guyana Chronicle said he credits his parents, grandparents and other family members for making sure he remains humble and polite at all times.

“I believe that you need to be respectful towards people regardless of what you have achieved in life or what job you have.”

He said he tries to set the best example for his children and “most importantly” for other people, especially young people who aspire to emulate his qualities.

Also, Sarwan said that he is strongly committed to investing in the construction of a shopping mall so that Guyanese can experience the benefits earned from the game of cricket.

“I knew at some point in time I had to retire from cricket and I wanted to ensure that I put my earnings into an investment that will be rewarding, but apart from that, I wanted to build a mall so that Guyanese can have an experience that they have never had before.”

The former West Indies prolific batsman said that observing the layout of the facilities while having various shopping and dining experiences inspired the design of Amazonia Mall.

“I would take photos of the malls while I shop and dine, after which me and my architect will work together to come up with the best version of what we believe will work in Guyana.”

Speaking further, Sarawan stated that there are setbacks and challenges in business as well as in cricket.

“With discipline, hard work and dedication, you will be well on your way to achieving what you want to achieve. Like everyone else, I have had setbacks and challenges in my life, both in my cricketing career and with the development of the mall.”
“It wasn’t easy, but I stayed the course. Just because something gets challenging doesn’t mean you give up on it. In life, you have to creep before you walk.”

“It is understandable that some people will have better opportunities than others and there will be obstacles, but that should not detour persons from achieving their goals.”

Sarwan was “grateful” to his wife.

“I believe that education is the key to having a proper future and that is something that I have told them at a very young age and I am not willing to compromise on that.”

Also, the former cricketer commented on the development of the President of Guyana, Dr. Irfan Ali and his government, and praised them for their work.

“Having known the President for some time now, I am not surprised that he is on the ground and being so hands-on with the development of Guyana. I remember when he was at the Ministry of Housing and at the Ministry of Tourism; he was basically managing two ministries at the same time and he did a great job at it.”

“In such a short period of time, Guyana has accomplished so much under His Excellency’s leadership and we as Guyanese should all be proud of where we are and where we are going as a people and as a country.”

He said that through this expansion he will be able to create more jobs for Guyanese and the mall is in the process of being extended to include a number of famous stores.

“It is an honour to play a small role in the development of Guyana.”