Tenelec Inc pumps US$5400 into Berbice cricket for 2 tournaments
…Foster unveils plans to produce 10 West Indies players at all levels in 2 years
“On behalf of the Berbice Cricket Board, I would like to welcome you back as an official sponsor of our cricket and I am confident that your investment would assist us to produce more international players like you did in the past. Berbice cricket is now widely considered the role model of cricket administration and we look forward to working along with you and Tenelec Inc to lift it even further.”
Bobby Deonarine of Tenelec Inc hands over sponsorship to BCB Secretary Angela Haniff in the presence of other executives and Under-15 players
These were the words of BCB President Hilbert Foster at a simple presentation ceremony at the Albion Ground as overseas-based Guyanese Bobby Deonarine handed over a cheque for US$5400 on behalf of his company, Tenelec Inc.
The sponsorship would be used to host a knockout 50-over tournament for the county’s 11 First-Division teams and a round-robin Under-15 tournament with 16 teams. Foster disclosed that despite the ongoing rains, a total of six matches have been played to date and the tournament would be used to select the Berbice team for the 2022 Under-15 Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) tournament. Among the teams in the Tenelec Under-15 tournament are Achievers; Cotton Tree; Tucber Park; Guymine; Mount Sinai; Albion; Rose Hall Canje; Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club (RHTY&SC); Port Mourant and Upper Corentyne.
The 50-over knockout tournament would be played in early 2022 and would be contested by Blairmont, West Berbice, Police, Tucber Park, Rose Hall Canje, Young Warriors, Albion, RHT Namilco Thunderbolt Flour, Port Mourant, Upper Corentyne and Skeldon. The BCB will consider a team from the Berbice riverine area, with the final decision being made early next year by the executives. Among the players expected to play in the tournament are Romario Shepherd, Kevin Sinclair, Gudakesh Motie, Veerasammy Permaul, Kevlon Anderson, Nial Smith, Shimron Hetmyer, Anthony Bramble, Keon Joseph, Jonathan Foo and Devendra Bishoo.
Foster reassured Deonarine, who is an uncle of Test player Narsingh Deonarine that his tournaments would be well organised and would be completed on time. The BCB President, who is also a Vice President of the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB), stated that the county Board was committed to hosting at least four major First-Division tournaments in 2022 and at least 30 at all levels including juniors, seniors, internal zones, and females.
Deonarine stated that he was delighted to be back with the BCB and expressed confidence in the current executives led by Foster. Berbice cricket, he said, was very special to him and he would continue to invest as long as he could.
Tenelec Inc is co-owned by Bobby Deonarine and Tom Gruentzel. It provides services to the American public in the electrical and telecoms sector.
