Min Collin Croal inducted as Honorary Patron of RHTYSC

Housing Minister Collin Croal was last Saturday inducted as Honorary Patron of the Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club (RHTYSC).
The induction ceremony was held at the St Francis Community Developers Meeting Hall and was attended by a wide cross-section of club members, awardees of several club programmes and officials of the Rose Hall Town Council, including Mayor Dave Budhu and Town Clerk Natasha Griffith.
Club Secretary Hilbert Foster provided the gathering with a comprehensive history of the club, which was founded in September 1990 St Francis Xavier Roman Catholic Youth Club, a three-time Commonwealth Youth Service Award recipient.
The club was established with four main objectives: to offer sports, culture and education to youths as an alternative to a life on the streets; to bring youths closer to the God they believe in; to improve facilities for young people in the township; and to make a positive difference in the lives of the elderly and less fortunate.
The secretary noted that the club undertakes hundreds of activities annually under the areas of sports, education, culture, religion, youth development, coaching, charity, social development, publications and awards, among others. Over the past 36 years, the club has produced 132 players for Berbice, 76 for Guyana and 14 for the West Indies and the USA, including three at the Test level and 11 at the ODI level.
The club’s junior and senior level cricket teams have won a combined 132 tournaments, including three national titles in 2004, 2005 and 2009. The RHTYSC remains the only cricket club in Guyana to have received a national award. Among the cricketers produced by the club are Assad Fudadin, Royston and Esuan Crandon, Kevin Sinclair, Kevlon Anderson, Jonathan Rampersaud, Shakabi Gajnabi, Shemaine Campbelle, Erva Giddings, Sheneta Grimmond and Plaffiana Millington.

numerousFoster also highlighted several promising upcoming players, including Daniella Manns, Jayden Gaupert, Khemraj Bharrat, Raffel McKenzie, Tameshwar Deonanan and recent Under-16 MVP, Leon Reddy.
Mayor Dave Budhu praised the contribution of the club to youth and community development and congratulated Minister Croal on his selection as patron. Town Clerk Natasha Griffith also wished the new patron success in fulfilling his duties within what she described as a dynamic and productive club.
The duties of the Honorary Patron include serving as the public face of the RHTYSC, submitting Patron’s Remarks for club publications, acting as a positive role model to members, creating opportunities for the club, and offering counselling if necessary to youths of the organisation.
West Indies Under-19 female player Daniella Manns inducted Minister Croal as Honorary Patron, while West Indies Test player Kevlon Anderson presented him with a special gift and his personal club uniform.
In his inaugural speech as the club’s patron, Minister Croal stated that he was very pleased to accept the honorary position and pledged his commitment to working alongside the club’s management to continue producing cricketers for Guyana and the West Indies.
He hailed the rich history of the club and urged members to continue working together as a collective unit. The Honorary Patron also emphasised the importance of discipline, dedication, and hard work for cricketers aspiring to represent the West Indies at the highest level.
Past patrons of the RHTYSC include former Presidents of Guyana Hugh Desmond Hoyte and David Granger, June Mendes of Farfan and Mendes, Beverley Harper of ANSA McAL and Peter Ramsaroop of GO-Invest.