ICC U19 World Cup: Guyana members invest free tickets into schools

“…this is an opportunity for them to emulate those on the field,” says John Ramsingh

The teams are here, and the ICC Under-19 World Cup is set to kick off with a bang. Some of the top teams will do battle in the Caribbean to see who would emerge as champion.

The Guyana leg of the tournament, which will commence on 14-15 January 2022, has seen its ICC Guyana members invest in young talent by sharing free match tickets to the students of Richard Ishmael Secondary and Tutorial High School.
According to John Ramsingh, Media and Marketing Officer for ICC U19 Men’s World Cup 2022 in the West Indies, one of the activations that they are looking at is to give tickets to those that really need it. Ramsingh related that while it is an under-19 tournament, it is also a developmental tournament, hence the investment into the school children.
“School children are not only going to bring excitement to the game in terms of when they get to the venue, but they also bring a different dimension in terms of the next generation of cricketers. They may just be inspired; they may already be playing cricket, and this is an opportunity for them to emulate those on the field,” he said.
Ramsingh also clarified that while they are playing U19 and the school mostly features U16, the young talents have some time to work on their game, and improve their skills a little bit more to get on the big stage. He also divulged that at the moment they are currently looking at the secondary schools along Woolford Avenue in Georgetown, but it is not limited to Georgetown, as very soon they will be having activations in Berbice, along the West Demerara, the Essequibo Coast, and the East Bank of Demerara. He also said that they want to give many young children the opportunity to go and watch these games, as it is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, owing to the fact that he has never seen an U19 World Cup unfold before his eyes, and thus he believes that this is an excellent opportunity for everyone to witness something of great meaning.
When asked what it meant investing in the lives of children to witness such games, Ramsingh said, “There is an old saying which says, ‘What am I living for if it is not to make a change in someone else’s life?’ and that is exactly what we are doing, and we are feeling proud of. And to do this, it gives the opportunity to the youngsters and they can become the next big star, and if we can make that next big change in someone else’s life, then that’s what we are here for.”
The schedule for the matches is as follows:
* Jan 14 – West Indies U19 vs Australia U19, 1st Match, Group D – Providence Stadium, Guyana 10:00 AM
* Jan 14 – Sri Lanka U19 vs Scotland U19, 2nd Match, Group D – Everest Cricket Club Ground, Georgetown 10:00 AM
* Jan 15 – Ireland U19 vs Uganda U19, 5th Match, Group B – Everest Cricket Club Ground, Georgetown 10:00 AM
* Jan 15 – India U19 vs South Africa U19, 4th Match, Group B – Providence Stadium, Guyana 10:00 AM