BCB/Zamal Hussain Cricket Trust Fund: 24 youth cricketers receive over $1M in cricket gear

“When I was elected President of the Berbice Cricket Board in 2018, I made a commitment to work hard to make sure that every youth is given the equal opportunity to fulfill his/her talent on the field, in spite of poverty, lack of facility, and the club they play for.
“Over the years, my administration has worked very hard to fulfill this promise, and today another set of 24 players would benefit. We have assisted close to 1000 youth cricketers to be better cricketers and students in the classroom. We are very proud of this achievement, and we would continue to assist in the future.”
BCB President Hilbert Foster made these remarks as he addressed the presentation ceremony of the first ever Zamal Hussain Berbice Cricket Trust Fund. A total of 24 youth cricketers drawn from clubs across the county received personal gear from the Trust Fund. The players who received gear were Isaacs Charles, Nathaniel Amsterdam, Jonathan Daniels, Gautam Dhanraj, Gavin Kesten, Vishal Williams, Suraj Cyril, David Alfred, Christopher Baldeo, Keon Joseph, Adesh Hemraj, Joel Baldeo, Trevor Reynold, Alese Moore, Keshain Narine, Melon Barnwell, Sohail Srikissoon, Rajesh Singh, Khemraj Sewnauth, Delroy Singh, Davindra Capel, and the lone female Saradha Sewnarine. They each receive a cricket ball, a pair of batting pads, and a pair of batting gloves.
In an emotional address to the gathering of young and eager cricketers, Foster admonished them to take advantage of the efforts of the BCB, and to use the gear for the purposes intended. He said the BCB is determined to uphold the legacy of Rohan Kanhai, Alvin Kallicharran, Basil Butcher and Roy Fredricks.
As President of the BCB, Foster expressed gratitude to Region 6 Vice Chairman Zamal Hussain for his support, and hailed him as a true friend of Berbice Cricket. Foster said Hussain has followed in the footsteps of Region 5 Vice Chairman Rion Peters and Member of Parliament Faizul Jaffarally in setting up trust funds to assist cricketers and clubs in the area.
He has urged the young cricketers to develop a culture of hard work, dedication, discipline, and devotion to the game; and has disclosed that before the year 2023 ends, another 100 youth players would receive about eight million dollars’ worth of gear, while clubs would receive $1 million worth of red cricket balls.
Youth cricketers would also benefit from personal development clinics, coaching manuals, youth information booklets, and coaching sessions involving 20 part-time coaches attached to the BCB/Government of Guyana programme.
Meanwhile, Foster fulfilled a promise he made to 13-year-old Fardeen Kaleem of the Cotton Tree Cricket Club, whom he met on a recent visit to the West Berbice Cricket Academy and readily agreed to assist to fulfill his dream of becoming a professional cricketer. With the support of former national player Sheik Mohamed, Foster presented one hundred thousand dollars’ worth of gear to Kaleem. The items received included a bat, batting pads, batting gloves, helmet, and protective gear.
A delighted Kaleem has expressed gratitude to Foster for his assistance, while his mother Yasheena Persaud hailed the BCB President as a role model and mentor.
Vice Chairman Zamal Hussain has said that, as a proud Berbician, he is very pleased with the work of the BCB under the leadership of Foster, and wanted to be part of the developmental process.
He said he is happy to assist the youths, and has urged them to take proper care of the items and to be focused on their educational pursuits.
Hussain also said the People Progressive Party Government is investing heavily in the development of sports in Berbice, and he has pledged his continued support to the BCB in the future.
The players were drawn from the following clubs: Guymine, Mt. Sinai, Edinburgh, Rose Hall Canje, Tucber Park, Port Mourant, Cotton Tree, Bath, Bush Lot United, Scottsburg, Upper Corentyne, RHTY&SC, Albion, and Berbice River.