RHTY&SC Busta/Bakewell Cricket Academy 2023: Ramnarace, Manns cop top awards

…close to $1M in prizes distributed

The Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club’s 34th Annual Busta/Bakewell Cricket Academy concluded on Friday with an impressive closing ceremony at the Area H Ground with close to 80 youths present.
The Academy in 2023 was sponsored by RHTY&SC’s official sponsors Bakewell and the Guyana Beverage Company (Busta) with the support of numerous other club friends and supporters. The two-week academy started on Monday, July 17 and was conducted by a battery of coaches headed by Winston Smith. Other coaches included former national player Eon Hopper, Erva Giddings, Tremayne Smarty, Ryan Algu, Floyd Benjamin, and Davindra Ramdihal.

RHTY&SC Secretary/Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Hilbert Foster described the academy as a resounding success and hailed the hard work of all the coaches. The main objectives of the academy are to identify promising talent for the future, to improve the standard of play for the players and to improve their knowledge of the game. Special emphasis was placed on batting with grip, foot movement and stance being highlighted. The players were also involved in several classroom sessions on topics of importance including discipline, education, field placement, history and rules of the game, public speaking, danger of drug abuse, and the role of a sports ambassador. Foster disclosed that since 1991, the RHTY&SC cricket academy has produced over 120 players for Berbice, Guyana and the West Indies. The players include Assad Fudadin, Delbert Hicks, Neil Williams, Shawn Grant, Khemraj Mahadeo, Renwick Batson, Kevin Sinclair, Kevlon Anderson, Junior Sinclair, Clinton Pestano, Shemaine Campbelle, Erva Giddings, Sheneeta Grimmond, Shabika Gajnabi, Akshay Homraj, Dominic Rikhi, Jonathan Rampersaud, Jeremy Sandia, Matthew Pottaya, Mahendra Gopilall, Slyus Tyndall, and Pluffina Millington.

Six of the RHTY&SC members will participate in the upcoming Caribbean Premier League (CPL) male and female tournaments, while Rampersaud and Sandia have been outstanding with the ball for the national Under-19 team currently in St Vincent.
Foster, along with Head Coach Smith, urged the youths to continue working on their game at home while developing a formula of discipline, hard work, and respect.
Under-15 player Komalchan Ramnarace was named Cricketer of the Academy and received more than $200,000 worth of prizes including a King’s Jewellery World Cricket Medallion, a cycle, electronic tablet, designer watch, head phone, food hampers, cosmetic hampers, lazy boy, cricket bat and kitchen utensils.

Fifteen-year-old Denelle Manns took home the female Player of the Academy Award which included several prizes, including a bicycle, designer watch, hampers, and kitchen utensils.

Other awardees at the Academy were:
Best Batsman – Munesh Rampersaud
Best Bowler – Khemraj Tika
Best Fielder – Dave Prettipaul
Most Improved – Deeraj Ramjit
Most Disciplined – Jordon Frank
Most Dedicated – Derwin McKenzie
Ten junior cricketers: Cleon Mariano, Jousha Brijraj, Anthony Shirkissoon, Aden Moore, Dharvesh Narine, Sohail Sirkissoon, Jonathan Hicks, Justin Hicks, Khemraj Bharrat, and Joel Barry – all received a pair of batting gloves after being selected as promising players of the future. Leon Balkarran also received a junior bat as a committed member of the RHTY&SC. Six young cricketers each received a designer watch. Every member of the academy carried home coloured T-shirts and a food hamper along with a school bag with educational materials. All the coaches at the academy also received special gifts from the academy.
The Cricketer of the Academy expressed gratitude to the RHTY&SC and the coaches for hosting such an important programme for youths. On behalf of his fellow academy members, he committed to continuing the high standards of Guyana’s leading youth and sports club.
Special thanks were extended to the management of Bakewell and the Guyana Beverage Company for their support along with dozens of donors for the gifts.