BCB hosts successful Dr Tulsi Dyal Singh mini academy in West Berbice

The Berbice Cricket Board (BCB) recently hosted the first of four mini cricket academies planned for the summer holiday. The academy was held in the compound of the Fort Wellington Secondary School, and was attended by close to fifty youths in the West Berbice area.

Both Hilbert Foster, President of the BCB, and David Black, President of the West Berbice Cricket Board, were in attendance, along with several volunteers in the area.
Foster, who was present for close to two hours, urged the attentive youths to improve themselves by taking advantage of the opportunities presented to them by his administration.
The board, he said, would also be hosting similar academies in the Upper Corentyne, Lower Corentyne and New Amsterdam areas. The main objectives of the academy are to correct problems in the youths’ game, to look for promising players for further development, and to educate youths on their role as sports ambassadors of the county.
Foster spoke widely on the importance of education, personal discipline, and the right attitude. He urged the students to develop a culture of sheer hard work, dedication, and the ability to listen to seniors.
He committed the BCB to continue investing in development of the youths, and unveiled several major developmental programmes for West Berbice, which includes assistance for six secondary schools in the area, and a massive coaching programme for both primary and secondary schools.
The BCB President also sounded his pleasure that the coaches on the panel were all from the West Berbice sub-association, which was historic, as normally the board had to send coaches from other areas. Among the coaches were Travis Hardcourt and Shamal Angel.
WBCA President David Black has expressed gratitude to the BCB for its continued investment in West Berbice, and noted that Foster has personally visited the area over sixty times since his election in 2018, to make sure that every project or programme is well organised.
He urged the players to practise at home what they had learnt at the academy.
Head Coach Hardcourt expressed delight at the attitude and dedication of the players. He said the future of the game in the sub zone would be secure once the players continue to remain focused and work hard. The level two coach disclosed that special focus was placed on improving the batting and bowling techniques of each of the players, along with their attitude to physical fitness.
Female cricketer Sheniza Mangar was named Player of the Academy, and received a special gift, compliments of the Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club MS. Four other players also received cricket uniforms from the organizers for outstanding performances.