Scotiabank Kiddy Cricket continues to blossom in Guyana
Scotiabank Kiddy Cricket made a spectacular return to the field of play with a stunning display of talent and skill by the enthusiastic children of Guyana on Sunday.
The jubilant Kiddy Cricketers after their half-time show at the Providence Stadium where Bangladesh defeated the West Indies in the first ODI of the two-match series
More than 100 boys and girls from across the country participated in the lunchtime Scotiabank Kiddy Cricket interval display accompanied by “Chirpy” – the larger-than-life, fun-loving mascot, at the Guyana National Stadium as West Indies and Bangladesh competed in the first One-Day International (ODI) game.
Guyana Cricket Board Secretary and Cricket West Indies Director Anand Sanasie stated during the interval display: “The Kiddy Cricket programme is probably the longest sporting partnership between two entities in the Region, with the Cricket West Indies partnering with Scotiabank for the last 18 years. The programme engages approximately 135,000 children across the Region in 17 countries. In Guyana, we engage 210 primary schools, so we are in contact with 27,000 children who are actively engaged in the game of cricket. Through the programme, these children have access to 24 qualified foundation and level one Coaches, who teach them the fundamentals of batting, bowling, fielding and wicket-keeping.”
Between the sponsor, Scotiabank, and Cricket West Indies, cricket gear and equipment are disturbed annually, so that the skills of cricket can be taught across participating schools in Guyana.
The players going through their warm-up phase
Sanasie mentioned that the programme has recently introduced an academic cricket manual for the classroom setting, that will be disturbed to schools across Guyana in partnership with the Ministry of Education, which will introduce the Mathematics, English, Social Studies, Science, Health and Family Life Education (HFLE) and other core primary subjects in a relatable and fun cricket context.
“I can tell you our current captain of the West Indies team, Jason Holder is a product of the programme. Locally, almost every one of the youngsters who have moved up inclusive of Bhaskar Yadram, Keemo Paul, Jacobs, Jonathan Foo have all passed through the Kiddy Cricket programme, so being a local cricket administrator, we depend on this to identify talent and then to mould that talent and take it to a higher level,” said Sanasie.
Scotiabank Public and Corporate Affairs Manager (Caribbean South and East) Cindy Mohammed stated: “Scotiabank is committed to helping our young people become better off and we’re proud that the Scotiabank Kiddy Cricket Programme enables us to achieve this. The programme teaches the basics of the sport, but also life skills such as team work, discipline and integrity that help them become well-rounded individuals. It was fantastic seeing the joy on the faces of our top-performing boys and girls from this year’s programme take to the field during the interval period, to showcase their skills, and having the opportunity to meet the players of the West Indies team. This is an experience which I am sure will stay with them for a lifetime, and aspire them as young cricketers.”
As Guyana, St Lucia and Antigua host the first stand-alone ICC Women’s World Twenty20 in November, Cricket West Indies and Scotiabank will be putting special arrangements in place to give the female cricketers in the Kiddy Cricket programme the opportunity to watch the matches and participate in activities surrounding this grand world event across the three host venues.
