National Youth Coach Garvin Nedd lauded the gesture of Henry Chase; CEO of Chase Academy for continuously supporting two of his past students ahead of their West Indies U19 World Cup campaign.
Ashmead Nedd (left) and his father Garvin
Past students of the learning institute; wicket-keeper/batsman Joshua Persaud and spinner Ashmead Nedd were given pieces of cricket gear by Chase, who has been supporting the pair since they commenced their academicals at the school some four years ago.
The brief handing over ceremony held at the Boardroom of the Guyana National Stadium on Saturday afternoon saw both players along with Coach Nedd; father of Ashmead and co-brainchild of the initiative; along with Chase who presented the gifts of gratitude.
Chase told media operatives that he was moved by the fact Guyana had not only one but five players making international strides and as such felt the need to assist in providing his two former students with pieces of gear and clothing ahead of the tour.
Henry Chase
Speaking exclusively with Guyana Times Sport Coach Nedd said the idea arose while speaking with Chase regarding the success of students from the academy who continue to excel in the classroom and on the field.
“The idea came from the summer camp held at DCC every year, me and Mr. Chase decided that moving forward we could get some of the young talents to be a part of a scholarship programme, so that how the idea came about”, Nedd explained.
With the team venturing into new and hostile conditions, Nedd said the equipment which also consisted of apparel suited for the cold weather, was expensive and sometimes hard to acquire but thanked Chase for throwing his support behind the two cricketers; who have not let their supporters down.
“Basically we know that the equipment is very expensive, so Mr. Chase helped the guys acquire some gloves and socks among other utility things to help them perform their skills to the best while being prepared for the conditions”.
Speaking about the success of his son who has made great strides locally and regionally in recent time, the ex-Guyana spinner said, “I first must say kudos to him, he has been doing well for the past 12 months. He was selected for the Guyana U19 last year but he didn’t get to play because he was selected for the West Indies U16 team at the same time”
“He didn’t do that well in the Regional U17 and we had a chat about what was happening and his personal skills and he went into the tournament (WIU16) and did well. I think he would make an impact in the West Indies team because of the consistency he has shown over the years and once he can adjust and analyze the situations, while improving his skills; he will make a big impact in that team”. He admitted.
Nedd also spoke highly of Persaud, the young wicket-keeper opening batsman who has copped numerous Regional youth awards for his skills behind the stumps and with the bat and a player Nedd has been earmarking for great things since he was spotted for inter-county cricket by the veteran youth coach.
He pointed out that Persaud had all the right tools coming from the GNIC club where he worked and continues to work closely with Academy Coach Clive Grimmond and expects much of him once he’s given a chance to shine.
Concluding his interview, the former National off-spinner believes that if more support is shown to young sportsmen and women, more progress will be made and Guyana will continue to churn out professional sport athletes.
“I think what he does is great because our kids need support and speaking as a parent sometimes you can’t reach all the needs and if more people in Guyana come onboard we will see more Joshua’s, Ashmead’s and others coming out of the school systems. We all know academics and sports go hand in hand and it’s important to strike that balance,” he ended.
Both Nedd and Persaud thanked their former headmaster for his continued support in the careers. The two schoolmates now international youth teammates also said they were setting high benchmarks as they will be looking to cement final spots ahead of the World Cup.
The five Guyanese selectees for the 15-member World Cup squad who will participate in an 11-day camp in St. Kitts and Nevi; include all-rounders Bhaskar Yadram and Ronaldo Ali Mohamed, opener Raymond Perez, wicket- Persaud and Nedd.
The camp which will get underway from December 10-20 is the final stage of preparation before the squad leaves for New Zealand on December 28. (Clifton Ross)
