Young spinner Latif receives cricket shoes through Beharry-Das initiative

Eleven-year-old left-arm spinner Randy Latif has become the latest young cricketer to benefit from the joint cricket-development initiative led by Anil Beharry of Guyana and Kishan Das of the US.
Latif, a first-form student of Annandale Secondary School, received a pair of DSC cricket shoes during a simple presentation recently held in the presence of national youth Coach Latchman Yadram.
The youngster expressed gratitude for the timely assistance, which will support his continued development in the sport.
Latif recently participated in the Demerara Cricket Board Inter-Association Under-13 tournament. That competition was used to select the Demerara squad for the recently concluded Inter-County Under-13 Championship, which was won by Berbice.

The organisers said they were pleased to contribute to Latif’s development and remained committed to improving the lives of young people across Guyana.
“Our aim is to keep them off the streets and get them actively involved in sports, cricket in particular,” the project organisers stated.
Over the years, several Guyanese cricketers have benefited from the initiative, with some advancing to represent the West Indies at different levels.
Cricket equipment, whether new or used, is distributed free of cost to talented and promising young players. Skills, discipline, and education are among the main qualities considered when selecting recipients.
Talent identification is conducted across Guyana, while cricket club leaders also help to recommend deserving players. Progressive and properly managed clubs with active youth programmes are also eligible to receive assistance.
So far, the project has received or purchased GY$843,146 worth of cricket-related support in cash and equipment. The items include 13 coloured cricket uniforms, one set of stumps, two trophies, 36 pairs of cricket shoes, 40 pairs of batting pads, 49 bats, 48 pairs of batting gloves, 29 thigh pads, three pairs of wicketkeeping pads, six arm guards, two chest pads, two boxes, 15 gear bags, 13 bat rubbers, seven helmets, one fibreglass bat, one floppy hat, 16 boxes and four white cricket balls, 13 boxes of red cricket balls, one bat cone, one batting inner and 28 footballs.
Additionally, former national wicketkeeper-batsman Sheikh Mohamed donated equipment valued at more than GY$600,000. All cash collected by the project is used to purchase requested cricket gear that is unavailable at the time of the request.
To date, 108 male and female players from Guyana’s three counties have directly benefited. Assistance distributed includes cash, 11 gear bags, two trophies, four arm guards, 43 bats, five boxes, six helmets, 39 pairs of cricket shoes, 23 pairs of batting pads, 25 thigh pads, one bat grip, 42 pairs of batting gloves, one pair of wicketkeeping pads and four pairs of wicketkeeping gloves. Many other players have benefited indirectly.
Two clubs in the Pomeroon received two used bats, while the Pomeroon, Leguan and Wakenaam cricket committees and Cotton Tree Die Hard Cricket Club each received a box of red cricket balls. Cold Fusion Cricket Club received 13 coloured uniforms.
Rose Hall Community Centre Cricket Club received six boxes of balls, 15 white cricket shirts, one pair of junior batting pads, one pair of wicketkeeping gloves with an inner, and two sets of stumps and bails.
Other beneficiaries include the Essequibo Cricket Board; the town of Lethem; youth Coach Travis Persaud, who received a box of red cricket balls; male and female hardball and softball teams in the Upper Corentyne; and No. 65 Young Titans, which received 30 T-shirts.
Assistance was also provided to the youths of Just Try Cricket Club, Wakenaam Cricket Academy, Shamar Joseph, Nehemiah Hohenkirk, Shamar Apple, Leguan Cricket Committee, Tucber Park Cricket Club, and Malteenoes Sports Club.
Kendall’s Union Cricket Club received 12 red balls, while Lower Corentyne, Corentyne Comprehensive and JC Chandisingh secondary schools each received 12 red balls. Thaddeus Lovell received a pair of cricket shoes, while the Georgetown Cricket Club received two boxes of white cricket balls.
Bush Lot United Sports Club received a box of red balls, and the West Demerara Cricket Association received a box of white balls. Blairmont Cricket Club received a pair of batting pads, a cricket bat, a helmet and balls.
Tagore Memorial Secondary School, the St Cuthbert’s Mission cricket team, Port Mourant Cricket Club, the Demerara Cricket Board, Precision Sports, Berbice High School and the youth section of Cotton Tree Die Hard Cricket Club were also assisted.
Individual recipients included Adrian Emmanuel, who received a cricket bat, and Makhaya Jones, who received a pair of cricket shoes. One Movement Entertainment received a box of white cricket balls, while Skeldon Line Path and New Amsterdam secondary schools each received nine red cricket balls.
The initiative has been supported by Javed and Imran of West Indian Sports Complex; Option Group of the USA; Hilbert Foster; Bish Panday of P&P Insurance Brokers and Consultants Limited; Sean Devers; Trevis Simon; Ariel Tilku; Aaron Beharry; Leanna Bachan; Imran Saccoor; Devon Ramnauth; Teddy Singh; Romash Munna; Ravi Etwaroo of Cricket Zone USA; Kelvin Brijlall; Ravin Harkishun; Surendra Harkishun; Allan Mangru; Dennis Mangru; Vishal Mahabir; Sherman Austin; Huburn Evans; Rajendra Sadeo; and Ramesh Sunich of Trophy Stall.
Other contributors include Sheikh Mohamed of Star Sports Awards and Trophies; Ajay Gainda of Cricket Equipment Guyana; Gajanand Singh; Peter Ramkissoon; Rabindranath Saywack; Roshan Gaffoor; Ameer Rahaman; Chin Singh; Denesh Chandrapaul; Davo Naraine of the United Kingdom; Dr Cecil Beharry; Raj Mathura; Raj Bharrat; Latch Mohabir and family; Suresh Dhanai; Vishal Nagamootoo; Moses Nagamootoo Jr.; Regal Sports Store; Onkar Singh; Parmanand Dhaniram; Reshma Mathura; Booman Singh; Krishna Rengensamy; Ishwar Singh; Ricky Deonarain of 4R Bearings; Terry Mathura of TDMJ Inc.; Kennard Verapen and New York Pioneer Cricket Club; Anita and Derek Kallicharran; and Subhas Powan Persaud of DX Sports.
Support also came from Ramjit Singh; Vishnu Dudnauth; Johnno Persaud; Bob Harrischan; Kumar Dindial; Shazam Hussain; Ravi Lutchman of JIS&L, New York; Muhammad Afzal of Cyber Trading; Kaieteur Cricket Club of Canada; Randolph Soobrian of the USA; Charrandass Persaud; Rockaway Group of Companies; Raymond Haniff of Diversity Investments Inc.; realtor Mahadeo Ajodhi; Surendra Hiralal of Universal Construction and Contracting; NALICO/NAFICO; Joseph Aubrey Blackman; Renick Beharry and family; Dr Dhar Ramdehal; Rajin Ramdeholl; and an unnamed friend of the project.
Naeem Kamal, Vikings and Riverside cricket clubs of the US, realtor Reshma Raman of Canada, and Valley Boys of Trinidad and Tobago have also contributed. The organisers also thanked the media for continuing to promote the venture.
Distribution will continue, and persons interested in contributing can contact Beharry on 623-6875 or Das on +1 718-664-0896.