Devon Ramnauth, founder of the inaugural Devon Ramnauth Under-19 Youth Development tournament on the Essequibo Coast, Region Two, has expressed delight at thew success of the tourney.
Last weekend the six-team T20 competition came to an end with the Queenstown Under-19 team emerging victorious against the Reliance Hustlers by 139 runs.
Ramnauth, a former senior Essequibo inter-county player who had represented Guyana at the Under-15 and Under-19 levels, stated that he is more than happy after rating the competition very successful.
Devon Ramnauth
“I [am] indeed proud and delighted with the first edition of the competition. We set our goals and, importantly, we achieved them because I want to see the continued development of cricket on the Coast,” Ramnauth mentioned.
Quizzed on the T20 version for the youths, Ramnauth responded: “I want to start with the most exciting version. Again, it is about development; it is about having cricket played on the Coast and to expose the youngsters who are talented,”
Ramnauth, who is currently residing in North America (Canada), related.
He further stated that the tournament is here to stay, and he would invite more teams to participate. The next tournament could be as soon as coming August, with the increase of overs and coloured clothing and whiteball on that occasion.
Ramnauth said that on the first occasion, Essequibo Coast players were invited to play in order for him to see where the cricket was at; but the next tournament will have no Essequibo coast players participating.
In an effort to widen interest in the game, Ramnauth informed that they will have an Essequibo All-Star X1 to compete against Wakenaam, Pomeroon, Bartica, Leguan and East Bank Essequibo soon.
He also took opportunity to acknowledge the sponsors’ support throughout the tournament, and the support of fans and organisers.
He commented that the organisers had done a fantastic job in running off the four-week tournament, particularly during this extraordinary time created by the global pandemic. The South and Central Committees were thankful too for their role.
Ramnauth has singled out head-organizer Trevis Simon and the Public Relations Officer Divine Ross for their commitment. “I can’t stop praising some of the guys to come out and do their job. Their commitment was remarkable, and I want to thank the teams for their participation as well; and this is for the betterment of Essequibo cricket,” Ramnauth declared.
The other teams that featured in the tournament are: Third-place play-off winner Golden Fleece Vikings, United Warriors, Rising Stars Spartans and Essequibo Eagles.
