– club receives Stihl grass cutter
The highly successful relationship between the company and the club, first established in 1997, has expanded over the last 25 years, and Club Secretary Hilbert Foster said at the presentation that the company first assisted the club in 1995 when it donated a grass cutter to assist in the preparation of the Area H Ground. It then came on board as the RHTY&SC’s first official sponsor in 1997 with its support of the under-15 team.
This relationship with the company has resulted in the club winning eight major titles, including six Berbice championships. Through this relationship, 20 national under-15 players and close to 70 under-15 players have been produced for the ancient county. Among the players produced by the team are Assad Fudadin, Royston Crandon, Dominic Rikhi, Abdel Fudadin, Shevon Marks, Mahendra Gopilall, Jermey Sandia, Junior Sinclair, Keith Simpson, Kelvon Anderson, Shemaine Campbelle, Sheneta Gopilall and Shabaki Gajnabi.
Campbelle, Gajnabi, Grimmond, Crandon, Fudadin and Anderson have all gone on to represent the West Indies at different levels, while Rikhi has represented the United States at the international level.
Over the last 25 years, the U15 team has undertaken more than 1000 community-related activities under the name of Farfan & Mendes as part of the players’ personal development programmes. Among the events/activities hosted have been medical outreaches, feeding of the poor, senior citizens’ breakfasts, youth information booklet, television programme, distribution of food hampers, solar street lamps’ project, construction of children’s playfield, construction of charity kitchen, distribution of school bags, donation of bicycles, and educational scholarships.
The team and the others in the club have also invested a lot of energy and time into a Say No/Say Yes campaign which is directed to all youths in the county. Under this programme, the team strives to get youths to say “No!” to drugs, suicide, crime, pre-marital sex; and “Yes!” to education, life, sports, culture and religion.
Apart from sponsoring the under-15 team, the company supports a wide range of the club’s other events, including awards ceremonies, cricket academies, Christmas Charity Programmes, annual Youth Magazine, and Christmas Village.
Foster has described the company as one main pillar in the foundation of the club’s success and growth. The RHTY&SC, in its 33-year history, has won more than 100 titles at all levels of cricket, and has produced 120 players for Berbice, Guyana, and the West Indies combined.
The Rose Hall Town Farfan and Mendes Under-15 Team would be led by national player Sohail Mohamed, while long time club executive Ravindranauth Kissoonlall would serve as team manager. Assistant Managers are Tyrone Pottaya and Keith Hicks, while the coach is Ryan Algu.
Meanwhile, the RHTY&SC has received a STIHL grass cutter in a special arrangement with this longtime sponsor. The grass cutter would assist the club members to maintain the Area H Ground, along with another grass cutter which was donated by the Berbice Cricket Board two years ago.
Foster has expressed gratitude to the company for reposing its continued confidence in the club and for investing in the careers of promising junior players. He has assured the company that the under-15 team would continue to represent the Farfan and Mendes brand with pride, passion and commitment.
