Home Sports NAMILCO renews cricket sponsorship of RHTY&SC Under 21 and First Division teams...
The National Milling Company of Guyana (NAMILCO) last week renewed its cricket sponsorship of the Rose Hall Town Youth and Sport Club (RHTY&SC) during a simple presentation ceremony at the company’s Agricola, Greater Georgetown head office. The support would cover sponsorship of the Club’s Under 21 and First Division teams for the next 12 months.
RHTY&SC Secretary Hilbert Foster stated that the company first sponsored the two teams in 2019 and over the last three years, both teams have excelled on and off the cricket field. The teams have won several major cricket tournaments including the Busta Champion of Champions, Stag Beer 50 overs, Elizabeth Styles Under 21 and Ivan Madray20/20 tourneys. Foster also informed NAMILCO management that the teams have produced several outstanding players including Kelvon Anderson, Junior Sinclair, Clinton Pestano, Kevin Sinclair, Jonathan Rampersaud, Shemaine Campbelle, Sheneta Grimmond, Shabika Gajnabi, Jermey Sandia, Mahendra Gopilall, Sohail Mohamed and Ramzan Koobir who all played for Guyana or the West Indies over the past 12 months. Junior and Kevin Sinclair played in the 2022 Caribbean Premier League (CPL) tournament while Kevin and Pestano played for Guyana at the First- Class level.
Anderson, a former West Indies Under 19 player, was unlucky not to gain selection to the national senior team, but gained selection to the West Indies Emerging Players Academy. Foster disclosed that in 2022, the RHTY&SC produced four players of the national Under 19 female team, six on the national senior female, two on the national senior male, two in the CPL, two for the national Under 15 male and three for the national Under 19 male team. A hand injury prevented Matthew Pottaya from playing for the national Under 17 team.
Off the cricket field, the two teams together hosted over 50 personal development projects, including the construction of two homes for friends of the club, annual cricket camp, annual summer camp, COVID-19 hamper programme, scorebook programme, medical outreach, Basil Butcher Trust Fund, and distribution of school bags and educational school grants. The teams, over the past 12 months, assisted dozens of youths with bicycles , cricket gear, and electronic tablets as part of their Say Yes to Sports and Education programme. Members of the teams would be involved in promotional work for their sponsor during the upcoming Berbice Expo at the Albion Ground from October 14 .
Foster also disclosed that with some of the Club’s most senior veterans passing the age of 35 years, a decision was made to invest in the younger players like Sandia, Pottaya, Rampersaud, Gopilall, Romesh Bharrat and Ramzan Koobir . This would be done despite the fact that it might affect performances on the field. The long-serving club official stated that the immediate goal was not to win tournaments but to mould a powerful team for the future. He stated that the RHTY&SC,MS, has won over 100 tournaments over the past 30 years and silverware is not the main objectives but rather producing a team for the future. Players like the Sinclairs, Anderson, Pestano, Slyus Tyndall, Keith Simpson, and Eon Hooper, shall provide the leadership to the younger generation as part of the rebuilding process.
NAMILCO Managing Director Bert Sukhai and Financial Controller Fitzroy McLeod both hailed the outstanding work of the RHTY&SC and the way the two teams have represented the company brand. McLeod hailed Foster for his visionary leadership of the club and stated that NAMILCO was very pleased to be associated with a club that fulfilled all of its commitments under the sponsorship. He also stated that he was very impressed with the teams’ winning ways and the number of outstanding players they have produced.
As part of the sponsorship, the company also handed over 30 pairs of coloured uniforms to the club along with a cheque to cover the cost of transportation, meals/snacks, balls, gear and practice sessions. Kelvon Anderson would captain the First Division team while Jonathan Rampersaud would lead the Under 21 team.
