ON his election to the Presidency of the Berbice Cricket Board on the 18th February, 2018, veteran Rose Hall Town Youth & Sports Club Secretary/CEO Hilbert Foster promised to transform the sinking fortunes of Berbice Cricket. In the short span of two months, the Berbice Cricket Board has started five cricket competitions at the Under-17, Under-19, Under-21, Internal Zone and Second Division levels while other tournaments for the Berbice River Cricket Association, 40-Overs Second Division, Female, Intermediate, Inter-Secondary and several First Division would start shortly once the sunny weather holds. The Berbice Cricket Board has also unveiled several programmes to lift the status of the game in the Ancient County including Awards Ceremony, Elite Training, Countywide Coaching Programme, informative Facebook Account, Educational Cricket Posters, Inter-County Caps System, Inter-county Player of the Match, Award Scheme, Inter-county MVP Award Scheme and assistance to less fortunate clubs.
Foster, who over the last three decades has enjoyed a highly successful relationship with sponsors due to his work at Guyana’s leading youth & sports Club, the RHTY&SC, on Friday last disclosed that the Berbice Cricket Board has been able to attract sponsorship from two overseas based Guyanese for the 2018 Cricket Academy, Cricket Review Magazine, Double Wicket Competition for First Division teams and a Training of Coaches Programme. Dr. Tulsi Dyal Singh, who has already committed to sponsoring the Countywide Coaching Programme at a cost of $500, 000.00 would be investing another $369 600.00 to sponsor the 2018 Cricket Academy. The Cricket Academy which would be held from the 23rd to 27th July, 2018 at the Albion Cricket ground, would cater for the top 70 youth cricketers from the ancient county. Five highly qualified coaches would conduct the Academy with the main aim of making sure that every cricketer fulfills his/her true potential.
The workaholic president also disclosed that a highly successful United States based Guyanese, Brian Ramphal has agreed to donate $1M (US$5 000.00) after he receives a comprehensive project document he requested from the Berbice Cricket Board. The funds would be used to publish the Annual Review Magazine, educational posters and host a double-wicket competition for first division Clubs and a Training of Coaches Programme.
The funds would be wired to the Berbice Cricket Board Account at Republic Bank as soon as the Board is successful in changing the signatures on the Account. The 28-page Magazine would be published at the F & H Printery in Georgetown and would be distributed free of cost to players, clubs and sponsors. The Berbice Cricket Board in 2018 would be publishing about eight educational posters and already has sponsorship from the Guyana National Newspapers Limited for three of the posters. Funds from this $1M donation would publish the remainder in what has been described as a massive and comprehensive cricket
developmental programme for the Ancient County. The Berbice Cricket Board would also be organising a two-day Pre-Level One Training Programme for potential coaches from Berbice clubs. The main objectives would be to make sure that every club in Berbice has someone who can perform coaching duties and also to prepare the potential coaches to write the W.I.C.B Coaching Level One Programme. The double-wicket competition would be for first division clubs and forms part of a marketing plan to attract Berbicians back to matches after a lack of interest over the last two years.
Foster hailed the contribution of popular Attorney-at-Law and former secretary of the Berbice Cricket Board, Oscar Ramjeet, for the role he played in attracting sponsorship for the Board. Special thanks were also extended to Dr. Tulsi Dyal Singh and Mr. Brian Ramphal for their confidence in the administration of Berbice cricket. Meanwhile, the Berbice Cricket Board would like to invite all first division clubs, executive members, umpires, members of its different committees, coaches and senior cricketers to a brain-storming session at the Albion Sports Complex on Sunday 22nd April, 2018 from 15.00 hours. The main topic shall be the development of Berbice cricket and plans for the rest of the year.
first published in guyana chronicle