Bakewell renews sponsorship of RHTY&SC teams for 24th successive year

– Panthera Solutions supports Area H internal fence project

The very successful relationship between the Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club, MS, and Bakewell was renewed for the 24th successive year last Wednesday at a simple presentation ceremony held at the company’s head office at Triumph, East Coast Demerara.
Secretary to the Bakewell General Manager, Natasha Bhikhari, handed over the sponsorship cheque to RHTY&SC Secretary Hilbert Foster in the presence of club executive Tyron Pottaya. And Foster, who is also President of the Berbice Cricket Board, noted that Bakewell is the second longest sponsor of the RHTY&SC, after Farfan and Mendes Ltd, which has kept faith with the club for 27 years.
The company has sponsored the RHTY&SC’s under-17 and second-division teams at the cost of $450,000 for 2023, while it pumped in another $250,000 for the RHTY&SC Cricket Academy.

The cricket teams are among the best in Berbice, and Foster recalled that the company had first sponsored the second-division team, before adding the strong under-17 team to its sponsorship. These two teams have won a total of over 20 tournaments, and the under-17 team in 2023 has so far reached the finals of the BCB/Ali Bakery tournament, where they play arch-rivals Albion for championship honours.
Since 2000, the teams have also produced dozens of players who have gone on to play for either Berbice, Guyana, or the West Indies teams. Those include Kevin Sinclair, Esuan Crandon, Royston Crandon, Assad Fudadin, Kevlon Anderson, Shemaine Campbelle, Shabiki Gajnabi, Jonathan Rampersaud, Dominic Rikhi, Askhay Homraj, Delbert Hicks, Khemraj Mahadeo, Jermey Sandia, Junior Sinclair, Keith Simpson, Matthew Pottaya, Sheneeta Grimmond, Erva Giddings and Slyus Tyndall.
Foster noted with pride that the relationship has produced 12 players who have played cricket at the international level, and this was a result of the investment made by the popular bakery. Foster expressed thanks to the company, and hailed them as a true friend of the RHTY&SC over the years.
Under the sponsorship, the teams are expected to undertake close to 40 community projects/programs under the name of the company. These include the distribution of food hampers, educational materials, award ceremonies, feeding of the needy, clean-up campaign, television programmes, and camps for youths. The company also renewed its sponsorship of the club cricket academy which bowls off at the Area H Ground on the 17th of July with at least 120 youths in attendance.
The academy will be conducted by Head Coach Winston Smith and a battery of coaches, including Ryan Algu, Davindra Ramdihal and Eon Hooper. The main objective of the academy is to make sure the rich tradition of the club continues in the future by producing outstanding players who are all rounded individuals. Players would not only be trained on how to be proper cricketers on the cricket field, but how to be representatives of the club.
The club would provide all the gear for the academy, and would also prepare snacks for all the attendees of the two- weeks programme, which starts at 9am daily. A total of four hundred thousand dollars’ worth of prizes would be shared out to the top awardees. Each of the players at the academy would also receive a school bag and a collection of educational materials.
Foster has expressed gratitude to Bakewell General Manager, Rajin Ganga, for his support over the years, and has reassured the company that the club would continue to represent its brand with discipline, passion and pride.
Meanwhile, Panthera Solutions, a member of the Farfan and Mendes Ltd company, has come on board to sponsor the repairs of the Area H Ground’s front internal fence. The sponsorship would enable the RHTY&SC cricket teams to replace the fence, which has been destroyed by animals.
Foster has expressed thanks to the company, especially Andrew Dinsdale and Ray Austin, for their support. The company has, over the years, supported the club with sponsorship of its cricket development programmes and annual Christmas Village. Repairs to the Area H Ground’s main pavilion would soon commence, with assistance of West Indies white ball allrounder Kevin Sinclair; while overseas based friend of the club Dr Frank Denbow has pledged to donate a motorised grass cutter towards the upkeep of the venue.