BCB’s soon-to-be-launched Schools Cricket Programme: US Businessman Lochan Samkarran is first to donate
The proactive Berbice Cricket Board (BCB), under the leadership of its President Hilbert Foster, last Tuesday received a massive donation of cricket balls and uniforms from overseas-based Berbician Lochan Samkarran — a very successful businessman in the United States of America, who is very pleased with the current development of cricket in Berbice and wants major participation in its continuation.
BCB President Hilbert Foster and some junior cricketers posing with the cricket uniforms and balls
This donation has been made towards the BCB’s soon-to-be-launched Schools Cricket Programme, and it has been realised after a discussion between Samkarran and Foster. After these two personalities had had intense discussion, it was decided that assistance would be provided to all 23 schools in Regions Five and Six, West and East Berbice respectively. Thus, each school would collect 15 pairs of white school uniforms and two boxes of cricket balls, and would benefit from receipt of some cricket gear, including bats and batting gloves, among other items.
Among the schools to benefit are Tagore Secondary, Line Path Secondary, Central Corentyne Secondary, Lower Corentyne Secondary, J.C Chandisingh Secondary, Canje Secondary, New Amsterdam Secondary, Berbice High School, Rosignol Secondary and Bush Lot Secondary.
Foster has said that distribution of the gear and uniforms forms part of a comprehensive programme for all schools, and a countywide coaching programme is to be launched soon. Within the next two months, the BCB would also be unveiling another coaching project for more than 100 of the county’s primary schools, while plans are been finalised to host a year-long Kiddies Cricket Academy for 100 children between the ages of eight and 11 years old. The Kiddies Academy would involve weekly training and coaching for the most promising kids over a 12-month period.
The BCB is also working to get sponsorship for the temporary employment of at least 20 part-time coaches across the four sub-associations, to work with the kids and primary school students. Foster has expressed confidence that a deal would be cemented in the next few weeks for the coaches to start working in what he considers the most ambitious cricket development programme in Guyana.
