BCB and University of Guyana to establish closer relationship

– NA/Canje primary schools receive cricket items

The Berbice Cricket Board (BCB), in its ongoing effort to lift Berbice cricket on and off the cricket field, met with a high-powered delegation from the University of Guyana recently at the Tain Campus.
The BCB was represented by President Hilbert Foster and Chairman of the Competition Committee, Leslie Soloman, while the University delegation was headed by Vice Chancellor Dr Paloma Mohamed.
Foster, who is serving his third term, after being elected in 2018, expressed thanks to the University delegation for the meeting and expressed confidence that the relation established would benefit both organisations.

The BCB, he stated, was determined to make sure that the level of cricket on and off the field remains high in the county. The two delegations discussed and agreed on a wide array of areas for Berbice cricket.
The University would assist a cricketer with a full scholarship to pursue a course at the Tain Campus while a Wall of Fame to honor Berbice cricketers who played for the West Indies at the international level would also be established at the campus.
The wall would honour a total of thirty players who have played at the test, ODI, 20/20 and female levels; including Rohan Kanhai, Basil Butcher, Joe Soloman, Alvin Kallicharran, Roy Fredericks and Shemaine Campbelle.
Among other areas of cooperation are be the setting of a digital electric board with facts of Berbice cricket in front of the campus, publication of the BCB historic coaching manual for distribution to youth cricketers, renaming of rooms after outstanding players like Kanhai and hosting of etiquette classes for all Berbice youth teams prior to playing in the inter-county tournament. The teams shall be the Berbice under 13, under 15, Under 17 and under 19.
Vice Chancellor Dr Mohamed expressed delight at the successful discussion and noted that the University was pleased to be associated with Berbice cricket which has a rich tradition to uphold.
The two delegations would work closely over the next few months to make sure the programmes and projects are implemented successfully. Foster noted that the younger generation of cricketers have limited knowledge of the game or its history and he was confident that the package with the university would assist to correct this programme.
The promotion of an educational background for cricketers, he stated, is very important to the BCB and as such he welcomed the scholarship to the university for a youth cricketer.
Students and visitors to the Tain Campus would also be updated on the records of the outstanding players via the Wall of Fame and the digital board would give up to date information on the game . He expressed thanks to the delegation which included the
Director of the Tain Campus Dr Gomathinayagam Subramanian and Jainarine Deonarine of the Turkeyen Campus.
Meanwhile, the BCB continued its distribution of tape ball cricket gear to schools across the county with Assistant Secretary Ameer Rahaman and executive Gregory Crandon handing over bats and tape balls to fifteen schools in the New Amsterdam area.
For this year, the board has assisted over sixty primary schools with almost half a million dollars’ worth of cricket equipment as part of its developmental programme. Among the schools were Sandvoort Primary, Lochaber Primary, St Therese Primary, New Amsterdam Primary, All Saints Primary and St Aloysius Primary. The board has started to host primary school tape ball competition at the inter zone level leading to an overall Berbice championship.