BCB election set for December 22: Foster seeking re-election after successful 1st term

ꟷ to mentor young leaders for smooth succession

The Berbice Cricket Board (BCB) on Sunday, December 22, 2019, will be hosting its Annual General Meeting and Election.

Current President Hilbert Foster, MS, will be seeking re-election for another two-year term along with a carefully selected slate of candidates. Foster stated that he was fully prepared to walk away after his highly-successful first term, but agreed to the request of countless clubs, young cricketers, cricket officials and parents as they were concerned about Berbice cricket returning to a state of dormancy.
Another reason, Foster stated, is that numerous sponsors have indicated that they would only stay on board if he remained as the President. Foster, who is also the Secretary/Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the progressive Rose Hall Town Youth & Sports Club, (RHTY&SC), MS, took over the leadership of the struggling BCB on February 18, 2018, at a special election ordered by Guyana’s High Court. He took over Berbice cricket with no developmental programmes in place, no proper cricket tournament in over two years, with $42, 000 in a dormant bank account, no sponsors, a system where clubs were closing down and players were walking away from the game out of frustration.
Twenty months later, Berbice cricket is on a high and is on the move to even greater success. Foster recalled that the past Executive of the BCB has to date failed to account for over $2 million, withdrawn during a six-month period in 2017 and has not handed over a single piece of document to ensure a smooth transition of leadership.
Foster, in a January 2018 interview, had stated that it would take a miracle from God to save Berbice cricket and a lot of hard work, dedication, and sponsorship. The first thing he did was to heal the great divide among the two warring factions and get former opponents to work along with him. A massive marketing drive was launched and over $20 million in cash and kind has been raised over the past 20 months for the development of Berbice cricket.
On the cricket field, more than 60 tournaments have been organised at the Under-13, Under-15, Under-17, Under-19, Under-21, Double Wicket, Primary School, Secondary School, Female, Intermediate, Internal Zone, Inter-Village, Second-Division and First-Division levels. Countless programmes and projects were hosted, including two awards ceremonies, two Cricket Academies, Dr Tulsi Dyal Singh Coaching Programme, Inter-County Cap System, Inter-County MVP, educational posters, training of pre-Level One Coaches, Dr Puran Singh National Players Financial Scheme, Special Coaching Clinics, Dare to Dream, Mother/Father of the Year, Cricket Administrator Hall of Fame, anti-suicide programme, Joseph “Reds” Perreira’s visit, Youth Information Booklet, Berbice’s Greatest Cricketers, Berbice Hall of Fame, Tribute to Heroes, and Tribute to Retired Cricketers..
Clubs and young cricketers also benefited from millions of dollars’ worth of cricket balls, scorebooks, bicycles, cricket gear, cricket boots, rain coats, cricket uniforms, trophies/medals, fencing materials and educational materials. Berbice players are also being recognised at the West Indies level in record numbers with the following players having being called up over the last two years at different levels: Devendra Bishoo, Romario Shepherd, Gudakesh Motie, Anthony Bramble, Shemaine Campbelle, Sheneta Grimmond, Shabika Gajnabi, Isiah Thorne, Kevlon Anderson, Rampersaud Ramnauth, Jonathan Rampersaud and Kelvin Umroa.
Foster stated that the BCB’s 80th anniversary celebration, restoration of the BCB office, reviving of cricket in the Berbice riverine area, formation of over 15 new clubs, the healing of divisions, and the renewed passion for cricket at the village level were some of the prouder moments of his presidency. Another was the return of inter-county cricket to Berbice after an absence of over a decade. Another major highlight was the return of the Banks Beer 2-Day First-Division Tournament after an absence of 15 years.
The BCB boss stated he had no intention of campaigning for the position as his unmatched achievements spoke for themselves. The 13 clubs and three sub-associations have to decide if they want to return to the sad state of the recent past or to see more progress over the next two years.
Foster’s plans for the period 2020-2021 include the hosting of at least 25 tournaments per year at the different levels, continuation of the two-day tournament, continued upgrading of the BCB office, expansion of the countywide coaching programme, more cricket tournaments and assistance for clubs in the riverine area, and construction of an all-weather practice centre. Assistance to clubs with proper youth structure, cricket gear for promising youth players and mentoring of young leaders at the BCB level are also on the cards.
He identified young leaders like Ameer Rahaman, Dr Cecil Beharry, Simon Naidu, Gregory Crandon, Kellon Henry, Balram Samaroo, Ryan Kissoonlall and Rovin Bahadur as leaders of the future to carry on when he leaves the stage. Foster expressed gratitude to all of his executives, Office Administrator Angela Haniff, sponsors, clubs and members of the media for their cooperation during his term in office.