78 cricketers benefit thus far from Cricket Gear programme
Anil Beharry and Kishan Das started the “Cricket Gear for Young and Promising Cricketers” programme in Guyana with the goal of fostering youth cricket in the country. New or used cricket-related equipment is given away free of charge to young and promising cricket players.
Seventeen gear bags, two trophies, four arm guards, thirty-two bats, three boxes, six helmets, nineteen pairs of batting pads, twenty-four thigh pads, one bat grip, thirty-two pairs of batting gloves, one pair of wicketkeeping pads, and three pairs of wicketkeeping gloves have all directly benefited seventy-eight young players – male and female – from all three counties of Guyana to date. Numerous others gained indirect advantages.
Beneficiary of the programme, Richard Sewmangal receiving the equipment from Coach Hubern Evans
Total value of cricket-related merchandise acquired or bought to date: A total of $460,000 was obtained, along with thirteen different coloured cricket uniforms, two trophies, twenty-five pairs of cricket shoes, thirty-three pairs of batting pads, thirty-five cricket bats, thirty pairs of batting gloves, twenty-five thigh pads, three pairs of wicket-keeping pads, six arm guards, two chest pads, two boxes, twelve cricket bags, six bat rubbers, six helmets, one fibreglass bat, thirteen boxes of white cricket balls, three boxes of red balls, and twenty-eight footballs.
In an exclusive interview with Guyana Times Sport, co-founder Beharry divulged on how the programme came to fruition.
“Started several years ago from a simple initiative with players who were looking for gears and begging around the place and asking people. I did secure some gears for individuals and that is how the whole idea came about. In fact, Kevin Anderson, Gudakesh Motie, even Shamar Joseph all those people have benefited from it. Most of the Berbicians in particular that represented Berbice and Demerara and passed through the West Indies, they have benefited from it. It started from that, and then I said let me open like a gear bank and open like a trust fund just for these kids and that is how it started,” Beharry said.
Anil Beharry (left) and David Harper (right)
He went on to talk about the impact of the programme.
Beharry shared, “Generally, if you look at the Berbice team, Guyana team, and the West Indies team, we have a lot of Berbicians in it. This thing is not isolated to Berbice only, it is across the country, but I’m just giving an example; it has helped us in terms of our young cricketers and many of them have developed to represent Guyana, and some of them to represent West Indies. It has made a significant impact in their lives, because gear has been expensive and some of the parents cannot afford it.”
Two used bats were helpful to two clubs in the Pomeroon area. One box of red cricket balls was given to each of the Pomeroon, Leguan, and Wakenaam Cricket Committees as well as Cotton Tree Die Hard. Cold Fusion Cricket Club received thirteen coloured uniforms, and RHCCCC received six boxes of balls, fifteen white cricket shirts, one pair of junior batting pads, one pair of wicketkeeping gloves, and a set of stumps and bails. (Omar Mckenzie)
