GCB Cricket Academy bowls off new frontier in Moruca

Moruca became the latest addition to the long list of growing communities across the country as the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) new frontier Cricket Academy continues to reach newer heights.
The GCB team continued to venture into uncharted parts of Guyana, this time making the prestige Amerindian settlement. This academy follows those in South Essequibo, North Essequibo, Leguan, Wakeenaam, Pomeroon which bowled off their camps within the past 2 months.

 The team also took a different dynamic, adding Guyana Harpy Eagles National Head Coach Ryan Hercules to the core, alongside Essequibo Cricket Board (ECB) President Deleep Singh and his executive crew and coaches from Cinderella County.
With the aim being to bring cricket to uncharted parts of Guyana which possesses some of the country’s most hidden talents, Moruca was the ideal place, as almost 60 students from the Santa Rosa community came out with teachers, parents, coaches, members of the executive regional committee including Toshao Stavros Stanley.
Moruca Cricket Board President Earl Richards, ECB Competitions Chairman Kumar Das, Chairman of Selectors in Essequibo Dinesh Joseph and others also featured in part of the groundbreaking venture, held at the Damion Marvin Recreational Ground.
During his feature remarks, Mr. Singh, a Director at Cricket West Indies (CWI) told the residents that this specific visit was geared towards finding and developing some of the Region 1’s immense talent, something he said will be a focal point as Moruca undoubtedly remains one of the premier zones in Essequibo.

 He said the uprising of Essequibo cricket is a huge part of the overall structure of building for the future, because a number of top talents the likes of Ronsford Beaton, Keemo Paul, Anthony Adams and other Guyana and West Indies players hail from Essequibo. As a result, it is crucial to keep producing athletes from what can be described as a premier reservoir for cricket.
Richards, the Moruca Cricket Board president immediately thanked the GCB and president Bissondyal Singh and his team for putting Moruca in a position to progress as a community and as a way to keep their youths further engaged in sports but noted that cricket played a huge role in the daily lives of the younger generation of Morucans.
Hercules’s inclusion was part of a new initiative to have Academy members who are primarily between the ages of 7-17, to have early exposure to elite coaching. Young cricketers, although shy, managed to open up and eventually exhibit immense talent on the pitch.
Off-field, although camera-shy due to the lack of exposure and a more familial, rustic way of living, most of the students were smart and placed heavy emphasis on school, which played a significant role in their overall development.
During his interaction with the students, Hercules, a Level 3 Coach and former player, acknowledged the natural athletic build and raw physical talent, which is a hallmark of the youths from the region.
The coach proclaimed that Region 1 has arguably one of the highest concentrations of talent as it relates to cricket and he’s pleased to witness such a massive turnout by the players who hail from the various satellite villages like Kabukalli, St. Peters Hall and other areas.
Hercules, who was born in Region 2, said it’s important to have proper coaching for students who are filled with potential but lack the necessary guidance in order to unlock their true potential.
Calling on the local coaches to continue their hard work, especially after most of the coaches in Essequibo recently completed their level 1/2 course, which was held at the Guyana National Stadium, a few weeks ago.
The Eagles coach called on the instructors and players to focus on working hand- in-hand and practicing discipline when it comes to training, being timely for weekly sessions and being disciplined when on the cricket field.
Urging the youths to take full advantage of the GCB and their plans to develop cricket across Guyana, Hercules further told the young Morucans that it was important to remain dedicated to their craft, regardless of coaching.
He noted that honing one’s craft can also be done through work with oneself. Hercules elaborated that cricket must be practised as often as possible, while strength training and keeping fit alongside eating correctly are key aspects to being an athlete, more specifically a cricketer.
Toshao Stanley called the moment “Ground-breaking day for Santa Rosa’. He asked for a real cricket pitch for the sport while requesting a facility which he said will go a long way.
“I know we have potential in Moruca because sports is the way to go, and we have developed more than before”. Essequibo leads the way in academies being launched. It has been a historic and important exercise for ECB and GCB. I know a lot of talent is here in the community with a lot of talented players”, said Toshao.
He further pointed out that Essequibo has more camps than Demerara and Berbice at the moment, adding that Football and cricket complement each other, the two main sports of the community. He also called on community figures as well as parents and teachers to show support to the academies and players, as it would help tremendously with the expansion of the sport in Essequibo, more specifically Moruca.
A few of the coaches from the area, both male and female will be tasked with overseeing the weekly progression of the academy and speaking on behalf of their plans, Ernesto DeMattos Head coach of the Region, told his teammates that the task ahead will be grueling but it’s up to them to ensure that the academy and the player reach their peak.
He thanked the GCB president Bissondyal Singh for ensuring that cricket thrives in a major way across such isolated parts of Guyana.
DeMattos also thanked ECB boss Singh for reviving cricket in the Region and ensuring that no zone in Essequibo is not without cricket gear or an academy set up.
Meanwhile, some students and residents of the area thanked both Boards for making such a historic move while bringing cricket gear to their community. The turnout by young women in the area was by far the largest of the academies launched, with more than 15 girls present during last Saturday’s launch.
Closing off the opening, Navika Narine, the ECB Public Relation Officer, thanked the young women and the community for being involved, more specifically the young ladies who showed huge interest in becoming the next batch of women’s cricketers.
Speaking on the progression of the Academies across Essequibo and those to be launched in other zones like region 4 and 10, GCB President Bissondyal Singh said he was thrilled to see that cricket had been developing rapidly outside of the common areas.
The GCB President believed that the GCB could continue to churn out top talents from across these hidden zones as they are more sports oriented and natural athletes with a high drive for cricket. Singh, who too is CWI Director, said the academies in Essequibo will play an integral part in the future of Guyana’s cricket.