AMIDST all the internal ramblings that are taking place within their executives, the Demerara Cricket Board (DCB) was able to launch their fifth annual NALICO/NAFICO Under-15 Inter-association limited-overs tournament in the boardroom of the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) yesterday.
According to president of the DCB and vice-president of the GCB, Bissoondyal Singh, the sponsor has set a wonderful example in demonstrating the power of corporate Guyana towards the development of cricket.
“We at the DCB greatly appreciate the generosity and commitment shown by NALICO/NAFICO, who will not only be making a financial contribution of $450 000 towards the tournament, but will also provide T-shirts for the semi-finals and final.
This sponsorship will not only aid in the development of cricket at this level, but also provide the DCB’s selection panel with the opportunity to select the best possible team to compete in the GCB’s Inter-county Under-15 tournament and to this we say a big ‘thank you’,” said Singh.
Administrative manager of NALICO/NAFICO, Shivraj Singh, said his company was pleased to be a part of the tournament which it started sponsoring a few years ago and will see players born on or after September 1, 1994, compete for the four area boards that are affiliated to the DCB.
“When we began sponsoring this tournament a few years ago, we had given a commitment to continue doing so as it is a way of giving back to the community in the interest of the game that is being enjoyed by Guyanese and the people of the Caribbean.
We are happy to be a part of this venture and once again and I can safely say that we at NALICO/NAFICO have already committed ourselves to this tournament next year,” stated Singh.
Meanwhile, newly elected president of the Georgetown Cricket Association (GCA) and appointed member of the GCB’s Cricket Development Committee (CDC), former Guyana and West Indies all-rounder, Roger Harper, lauded the DCB and the sponsor for the emphasis placed on youths.
According to Harper, serious attention needs to be paid to the youths in the game especially in the technical and mental aspect of things, as they need to get that right and it is important that other members of the corporate community emulate NALICO/NAFICO.
Harper would also like to see coaching clinics and camps which are being used to bring out the technical and mental aspects of a cricketer, especially the younger ones, being sponsored by the corporate community also, as same is needed to take the cricket forward.
Georgetown, who are the defending champions in the tournament, having defeated East Coast in last year’s final at the Lusignan Sports Club ground, will open the defence of their title in the tournament which bowls off on Friday against West Demerara at the Canal Number Two ground.
East Coast will oppose East Bank at the Providence ground on the same day, while on Monday 22nd East Coast and Georgetown will clash at the Demerara Cricket Club ground, and West Demerara and East Bank at Canal Number Two.
In the final preliminary round matches in the tournament there will be trophies for the top three finishers as well as the man-of-the-match in the final, which will take place on two days later, with Georgetown opposing East Bank at Providence and East Coast and West Demerara meeting at Wales. The top finishers will clash in the final at DCC two days later.