One of the leading cricket associations, the West Demerara Cricket Association (WDCA), an affiliate of the Demerara Cricket Board (DCB), is the latest to benefit from Project “Cricket Gear for young and promising cricketers in Guyana”, a joint initiative of Anil Beharry of Guyana and Kishan Das of the USA. They were gifted one box of white cricket balls, which was used to prepare their Under-19 team that participated in the recently-concluded DCB inter-association tournament.
WDCA President Troy Khan
WDCA President Troy Khan was grateful for the cricket balls. This project is happy to play a part in the development of young cricketers in the area and is impressed with the work of the President and his team since they took over. Since then, there are so many cricketers coming out of the West Demerara area and that is at all levels, the organisers said.
This initiative will continue to strive to make every community a safer and better place. “We are pleased to be part of the development of young cricketers in Guyana. Our aim is to keep them off the streets and get them actively involved in sports, cricket in particular.
Total cricket-related items received/purchased so far: $610,000 in cash, thirteen coloured cricket uniforms, one set of stumps, two trophies, thirty-five pairs of cricket shoes, thirty-seven pairs of batting pads, forty-six cricket bats, forty-one pairs of batting gloves, twenty-nine thigh pads, three pairs of wicketkeeping pads, six arm guards, two chest pads, two boxes, fourteen gear bags, thirteen bat rubbers, seven helmets, one fibreglass bat, one floppy hat, one pair of inners, sixteen boxes and four of white cricket balls, thirteen boxes of red cricket balls, one bat cone and twenty-eight footballs. In addition to the above, gear with the value of over $600,000 was donated by Sheik Mohamed, former national wicketkeeper/batsman. All cash collected is being used to purchase cricket gear requested and not available at the time.
To date, ninety-eight players, male and female, from all three counties of Guyana have benefited directly from cash, eight gear bags, two trophies, four arm guards, thirty-five bats, four boxes, six helmets, thirty-six pairs of cricket shoes, twenty-one pairs of batting pads, twenty-five thigh pads, one bat grip, thirty-eight pairs of batting gloves, one pair of wicketkeeping pads and four pairs of wicketkeeping gloves with one pair of inners. Many others benefited indirectly. In addition, two clubs in the Pomeroon area benefited from two used bats. Pomeroon, Leguan and Wakenaam Cricket Committees and Cotton Tree Die Hard also received one box of red cricket balls; Cold Fusion Cricket Club thirteen colour uniforms while Rose Hall Community Centre Cricket Club (RHCCCC) received six boxes of balls, fifteen white cricket shirts, one pair of junior batting pads, one pair of wicketkeeping gloves, two sets of stumps and bails. Other beneficiaries are the Essequibo Cricket Board; the town of Lethem; youth coach Travis Persaud (one box of red cricket balls); male and female teams playing the traditional hardball and softball in the Upper Corentyne area; No 65 Young Titans (30 T-shirts); youths of Just Try Cricket Club; Wakenaam Cricket Academy (one box of white balls); Shamar Joseph; Nehemiah Hohenkirk; Shamar Apple; Leguan Cricket Committee; Tucber Park Cricket Club; Malteenoes Sports Club (nine cricket balls); Kendall’s Union cricket club with twelve red balls; Lower Corentyne, Corentyne Comprehensive and JC Chandisingh Secondary Schools (twelve red balls each); Thaddeus Lovell ( one pair of cricket shoes); GCC (two boxes of white cricket balls); Bush Lot United Sports Club (one box of red balls) and WDCA (one box of white balls).
Cricket-related items, used or new, are distributed free of cost to young and promising cricketers in Guyana.
