Upper Corentyne businessman donates to BCB coaching project

…commits to sponsoring secondary schools tournament and pilot nets project

The proactive Berbice Cricket Board (BCB) continues to attract sponsorship from the business sector as it forges ahead with numerous projects.

BCB President Hilbert Foster last Saturday visited popular Crabwood Creek, Corentyne businessman and contractor Imran Shaffeeuallah for some major discussion on cricket development in the county, with special emphasis on the Upper Corentyne Sub-Association, and Shaffeeuallah handed over a cheque for $200K towards the ongoing BCB countywide coaching programme which involves 19 coaches.
The BCB, with the assistance of Minister of Local Government Nigel Dharamlall, is organising the coaching project with the main objective of unearthing new cricketing talent across the county. The donation would be used to obtain junior cricketing equipment for the programme, especially batting pads for the smaller players.
After expressing gratitude to the businessman for his support, Foster stated that with the massive project in place, Berbice would continue to be the main production point for Guyana cricket.
He said that with one week completed, close to 200 youths between the ages of 8 and 18 years have benefited so far in Region Six, while Region Five would begin benefiting in September.
Shaffeeuallah disclosed that he is very impressed with the current state of the game in Berbice, and is very delighted to be part of the happenings. He also expressed willingness to support the development of the game on a wider scale.
After these two important Berbicians had had a discussion, the popular businessman agreed to sponsor a cricket tournament for five schools in the area. The schools that would play in that tournament would be Tagore Memorial, Skeldon Secondary, Line Path Secondary, Central Secondary and Black Bush Polder Secondary.
Foster disclosed that similar tournaments would be played in West Berbice and in Lower and Upper Corentyne. Each sub-association would have its own champion, who would then go on to play in a tournament to decide who becomes the overall Berbice champion.
The BCB would, in early September, donate uniforms, cricket balls and gear for the tournament to all 23 schools in the county, while each school would also benefit from a massive coaching programme which would be sponsored by the National Milling Company of Guyana Limited.
The programme, which would be launched shortly, would be a six-month project which would involve regular coaching sessions in the 23 schools.
The Crabwood Creek-based businessman also shared his vision for cricket in the area with the BCB President, and said the method by which youths train needs to be changed, with emphasis being placed on batting long instead of trying to hit the ball a long way. With this, he urged the BCB President to look into a project to set up outdoor practice facilities across the county with nets. This, he said, would allow coaches to do one-on-one sessions with promising players, and also with a minimum of two players on a regular basis. He committed his family and business to assisting several players.
Foster disclosed that the likely venues in the Upper Corentyne would be Crabwood Creek, Line Path, No 72, and Skeldon.