RHTY&SC completes another successful year despite COVID-19 pandemic

– surpasses target of 700 activities

While the COVID-19 pandemic had forced the majority of youth and sports organisations to close their doors, the Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club, MS, was still able to complete a highly successful 2020, and even surpassed its original target of 700 activities.

Club Secretary/CEO Hilbert Foster has said the club adopted a policy of strict adherence to the COVID-19 guidelines for its membership and management, while redoubling efforts to make a positive difference in the lives of those badly affected by the pandemic.
A total of 707 activities were completed under the sub-headings of sports, coaching, educational, charity, religious, youth development, social, community development, personal development, publications, anti-alcohol, anti-tobacco, anti-suicide and anti-crime, among others.

The activities completed in 2020 were 36 less than the 743 achieved in 2019, but Foster has said Management was still pleased, as the RHTY&SC had a 6-week break when the pandemic started in early March.
The cricket teams of the RHTY&SC, MS, did quite well in the first two months of the year, as they won the Nand Persaud Female 20/20 tournament, Natasha Gangoo Tribute Trophy, BCB/Busta Champion of Champions, BCB/Stag Beer 50 Overs, BCB/Ivan Madray Memorial 20/20 tournament, and the Lower Corentyne Let’s Bet Sports 20/20 league.

Additionally, they were the runners-up in the Ramnaresh Sarwan under 17 tournament and the Raffik Construction 100 balls Cup. The Namilco Thunderbolt Flour first division team has also reached the semi-finals of the Banks Beer two days’ first division tourney to date, while the other teams have reached the quarter-finals of the New Building Society 40-over tournament, the finals of the Elizabeth Styles Under 21 and the overall final of the Let’s Bet Sports county-wide tournament.
Kevin Sinclair made his debut at the first-class level for Guyana, after making a memorable debut for the West Indies Emerging Team at the CWI one-day level.
The highly talented Kevlon Anderson represented the West Indies in the ICC Under 19 World Cup, and scored 103 vs Scotland in a warmup match and 86 not out versus England in an impressive tour.

Sheneta Grimmond and Shemaine Campbelle toured Australia in February with the West Indies World Cup squad, while clubmate Shabika Gajnabi joined them on a tour to England in September. Gajnabi successfully captained Berbice to the GCB female championship, and was joined by club mates Erva Giddings, Plaffina Millington, Marian Samaroo, Oma Matadin, Kimmone Thomas, Trisha Hardat, Dian Prahalad, Sherika Campbelle and Aleema Arokium.
Christopher Deroop, Nyron Hicks, Matthew Pottaya, Jonathan Rampersaud, Mahendra Gopilall and Jeremy Sandia represented Berbice during a reduced GCB junior inter county season. All of the RHTYSC official cricket sponsors – Poonai’s Pharmacy, Farfan and Mendes Ltd, Bakewell, Pepsi, Metro Office Supplies and Namilco, renewed their sponsorship during the year at a combined cost of $1.4M.
Club Member Esuan Crandon continued to serve Guyana as the senior cricket coach, and was also named Asst Coach for the Senior West Indies female team, while Assad Fudadin played for the Jamaica regional team, and Akshay Homraj played for the USA at the international level.
The 10 cricket teams of the club also successfully completed more than 300 personal development activities on their own, as they are mandated to do each year by club management. The club distributed a total of 8,917 food hampers under the Basil Butcher Trust Fund, COVID-19 Response programme, Lorenzo Johnny Memorial Fund, and the 2020 Christmas Outreach programme. A total of 2000 lbs of food aid and a combined $2M worth of face masks, cleaning detergents and sanitisers were distributed, along with large amounts of clothing, footwear, educational materials, clocks, electric fans, toys, and sports gears to over 60 non-governmental agencies, public institutions, churches and schools, including the Williamsburg Health Centre, Little Angels Feeding Programme, Port Mourant and Mibicuri public hospitals, Upper Demerara Cricket Association, Corriverton Links Football Club, Berbice Police Stations, St. Francis Roman Catholic Church, Rose Hall Town Council, and the Guyana Fire Service.
A combined 213 young cricketers across the country received assistance from the RHTY&SC in the form of cricket gears, bicycles, schoolbags and uniforms. Under a special programme – the Lorenzo Johnny Memorial Fund – a total of 200 food hampers plus dozens of school bags were distributed in memory of the Rose Hall Town businessman who was murdered in February, 2020. Among dozens of programmes hosted by the club in the year were National Grade Six Award Scheme, CSEC Award Scheme, COVID-19 educational programmes, Naeem Nasir Memorial, DTV-8 Mother of the Year, Walter Nero Father of the Year, Gregory Gaskin Berbice Sports Award, Busta Children’s Mash Parade, Say No to COVID-19 posters, Say No to Crime stickers, Youth Information Booklet, Annual Club Review Magazine, Rose Hall Town Public Beach Clean Up, Major Restoration of Club Office, Tribute to Medical Workers, Tribute to Retired Teachers, Tribute to Law Enforcement Officers, Tribute to Teachers, Spelling Bee Competition, Essay Competition, and Republic Bank School Bags Programme.
The RHTY&SC also assisted dozens of sporting organisations, especially cricket clubs, with cricket balls, scorebooks, trophies, medals, gears, and also co-sponsored twelve sporting events, including a female football tournament. During the year, the club also celebrated its 30th anniversary by hosting a wide range of activities from 1st August to 31st September. The highlight was the honouring of long-serving members, renaming of the RHTY&SC all time Cricket X1, Senior Citizens Breakfast, Gregory Gaskin Dolphin Awards Scheme, Ansa McAl Award of Excellence, Paying it Forward Programme, and the Basil Butcher Trust Fund. The team also assisted six families whose homes were destroyed by fire or natural disasters.
The successful year was completed with the hosting of a multi-million-dollar Outreach programme and the sixth Annual Christmas Village. A total of 1036 food hampers, 5103 Christmas toys, 500 Special Christmas packages, and 300 Senior Citizens’ breakfast were among the items shared out, while a wide range of organisations also received assistance, including three orphanages.
Foster noted that hard work and commitment of the BCB executives was the main reason for the success of the club in 2020, along with the support of the media especially NCN, DTV-8, LRTVS, CH 10, NTN, Guyana Chronicle, <<Guyana Times>>, Stabroek News, Kaieteur News, Newsroom and CH12. The work of the club would have not been possible without the support of over 400 donors, and Foster noted that over ninety percentage of them are non-financial supporters. Special mention was made of Bakewell, Metro Pepsi, Farfan and Mendes, Namilco, Poonai Pharmacy, DDL, Guyana Beverage, Ansa McAl, F and H Printery, Nand Persaud Co. Ltd, Modern Optical Services, Panthera’s Solution, CCI, KSM Investment, Len’s Craft, Odyssey Transportation, Edward B Beharry, Andana Homes, King’s Jewellery, Food for the Poor, Star Sports, V-Net Communications, The Gift Centre, John Lewis Styles, Bounty Farm, John Fernandes Ltd, Ming’s Products Ltd, GNNL, Bissan Trading, Fitness Express, Trophy Stall, Dr. Tulsi Dyal Singh, 4R Bearings, Ministry of Natural Resources, GuyOil, PPDI, Republic Bank, GBTI, Demerara Bank, Mike’s Pharmacy, Small Business Bureau, GO-Invest.