ꟷ set to brand Regional Team, which is to be submitted by March 13
Popular online betting website Superbet has thrown its support behind the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) for the Female Inter-County Tournament and the upcoming Regional Women’s Tournament.
Sponsor Superbet, GCB officials and players at the launch
At a simple launching ceremony held at the Everest Cricket Club before the first ball was bowled in the clash between Berbice and the Select U-19 Team, Secretary of the Guyana Cricket Board, Anand Sanasie, expressed his gratitude to the sponsor of this tournament, Superbet.
“For a very long time, the GCB has been looking to secure sponsors for ladies’ cricket. As you know, we invest heavily in the Under-17 Franchise, which we hope to take at the senior level. As we know, finance is always a constraint,” Sanasie posited.
Highlighting that Superbet is on board for the Inter-County Tournament as well as the Regional Women’s Tournament, Sanasie disclosed, “Those selected (to play) in the Regional tournament will be carrying the Superbet brand.”
The GCB Secretary added that postponing the tournament was not an option. “For those who are worried about the current situation with the Guyana elections, we would have to hope that things pan out okay, and we will be having added security (to ensure) that players are protected,” Sanasie declared.
The Senior Regional Women’s Tournament will be played in Guyana, and the Female Regional U-19 Tournament will overlap. This means that there will be two separate teams submitted. These timelines were set by Cricket West Indies, and the local boards must meet these timelines, Sanasie explained.
Nickoli Primo, Anand Sanasie and Colin Stuart (Brandon Corlette photos)
Sanasie has thanked Superbet for its inaugural sponsorship of this tournament.
Meanwhile, GCB Territorial Developmental Officer (TDO) Colin Stuart has posited that the sponsorship is a positive intervention for Guyana’s cricket and its marketing unit. He opined that the GCB is widening its arms in partnering with corporate Guyana, and noted that Superbet has the distinct benefit of effectively addressing the needs of three critical development areas: in the field of player promotion, namely the current highest domestic female championship tournament; the U19 age group category of female players; and, in general, the critical area of female cricket, which is an area of needed growth.
He further stressed that this dovetails with the GCB’s plans to structure women’s cricket in a comparative manner, as is done for male focused cricket, and the inaugural Superbet sponsorship inevitably lends support to such a cause.
Speaking on behalf of Superbet, Marketing Assistant Nickoli Primo was high in praise of the GCB, and highlighted Superbet’s profound interest in collaborating on such a venture, which has immense potential to enhance the cricketing lives of those involved: the U19 girls and senior female players.
He indicated that the two forces, GCB and Superbet, have the capacity and ability to transform the management of female cricket to the extent that those participating females can reap great rewards.
The tournament will be played in three rounds. In the second round, which is slated for March 7, Berbice will play Essequibo at Enmore, while the Select U-19 Team will meet Demerara at the GCC, Bourda.
The final round will see Berbice and Demerara playing at GCC, Bourda, while Essequibo and the Select U-19 will meet at Enmore on Sunday, March 8. (Brandon Corlette)
