GUYANA Telephone and Telegraph Company (GT&T) Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Justin Nedd last Sunday urged cricketers of the Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club (RHTYSC) to be disciplined at all times, while delivering the feature address at the Club’s 23rd Annual Awards ceremony.

The function, which was hosted at the St Francis Community Developers building, was well attended by special invitees including West Indies legend Basil Butcher and former president of the Berbice Cricket Board Malcolm Peters, who all witnessed the club’s Cricketer-of-the-Year Delbert Hicks take home over $400 000 in prizes.
Nedd’s address was headlined ‘The Importance of Discipline for Youth’, for which he lauded the club, whose cricketers of all age groups filled the first six rows of the seating arrangements in the venue, calling it a good thing to do.
“I can say that it’s a real pleasure for me to be a part of this 23rd anniversary of the club and on behalf of GT&T who has been quite supportive of this club since 1993, I say thanks for having us partner with you.
“We at GT&T believe that our children form the life blood of our country and society as a whole. Bearing this in mind, it is absolutely important that the club and GT&T continue to build on the relationship. In order to strengthen the morale fabric not only in the town of Rose Hall, but further afield, Guyana, the Caribbean and world over. We live in trying times. Times of social discord, growing inequality and economic uncertainty, but mastering oneself is integral to obtaining harmony.”
Using the dependable Guyana and West Indies middle-order batsman Shivnarine Chanderpaul’s embryo stage of his career as an example, where the left-handed batsman took close to 20 Test matches before he scored his first ton, Nedd said such discipline is needed in sports today.
“Knowing yourself requires self-discipline and discipline is the key to success. When Shiv scored several half-centuries in the early stage of his career, many were worried that he did not go on and convert those into centuries.
“But he believed in himself and with discipline, he persevered and chalked up his first ton which grew into many more centuries and today at the age of 38, he has scored over 10 000 runs at the Test level and still going strong. That is a perfect example of discipline,” stated Nedd.
He further charged the young players to listen to the advice of the older folks, who would have passed through the mill and have the necessary requirements to succeed at the top, while reminding them that discipline is the watchword.
Prior to Nedd’s feature address, Secretary/CEO of Guyana’s leading youth and sports organisation Hilbert Foster briefed the audience on the Club’s achievements for 2012, which saw Shemaine Campbelle being joined by Assad Fudadin in the West Indies ranks.
“The RHTYSC produced a Test cricketer in Assad Fudadin and has also produced a player for the West Indies at the Under-15, U-19, ODI and Super Six teams, who along with Shemaine Campbelle and Erva Giddings made us the only club in Guyana to produce a West Indies player at all levels,” said Foster.
More from the Secretary/CEO’s report will follow in another edition of Chronicle Sport, while remarks were also made by the Club’s president Keith Foster, Peters, Secretary of the Berbice Cricket Board Angela Haniff and Avia Lindie, on behalf of Metro (Berbice).
The club also took the time to honour four retired teachers from Region Six, thanks to the collaborative effort of the Berbice River Bridge Incorporated, whose Chief Executive Officer Omadat Samaroo said it was a pleasure for his company to be partnering with the successful club and look forward to doing so in the future.
Meanwhile, Hicks who represented Guyana in one First-Class match in 2009 against Barbados and four List A games, received prizes such as one year of free cable television service, compliments of E-Networks, numerous food hampers, electronic appliances, bicycle and one lazy boy among his numerous items.
He was earlier named the Gizmos and Gadgets first division Batsman-of-the-Year, with national Under-19 skipper Shawn Pereira, who was also named runner-up to Hicks, the first division Bowler of the year, as well as the Pepsi Under-19 Bowler and Cricketer-of-the-Year respectively.
Joshua Gobin was named the Farfan and Mendes Under-15 Bowler-of-the-Year, with Brandon Prashad taking home the Batsman and Cricketer-of-the-Year for this age group, followed by Prashad being named the Bakewell Under-17 Batsman-of-the-Year while Shailendra Shameer won the Bowler and Cricketer-of-the-Year for the Under-17 division.
The Pepsi Under-19 Batsman-of-the-Year award went to Arif Chan, with Shameer receiving the Under-21 Bowler-of-the-Year and Clinton Pestano the Under-21 Batsman and Cricketer-of-the-Year respectively.
Giddings won the Metro Female Bowler-of-the-Year with Campbelle being fittingly named the Metro Female Batter and Cricketer-of-the-Year, receiving her numerous spoils from Lindie.
Jason Sinclair and Eon Hooper were named the Bakewell second division Batsman and Bowler and Cricketer-of-the-Year respectively, with the roles being reversed for the Pepsi Intermediate awards, between Sinclair and Hooper.
Askay Homraj (Most Promising), Daniel Lewis and Devin Baldeo (Most Disciplined), Gobin and Veramoottoo Senwasie (Most Improved), Lloydel Lewis (Fielder), Hooper (Worker), Phaffiana Millington (Most Committed Member) and Dominic Rikhi (Most Committed Player) were all recognised.
Fudadin and Campbelle received Special Awards as West Indies players, with Campbelle receiving another individual award for her century which was scored against Sri Lanka Women earlier this year.
Renwick Batson, Esaun Crandon and Moonish Singh were also honoured by the club for their long and dedicated service: Batson (Most Runs and Best All-rounder), Patrick Lewis (Outstanding Service as manager) and Michael Franco-Hyles for his Outstanding Service as coach.
According to the CEO, Hicks’ benefit year ended on the day of the ceremony with the upcoming year being Hooper’s benefit year and following the presentation of prizes and the vote of thanks by Lloydel Lewis, all those in attendance were treated to a meal courtesy of the Club’s Over-35 department.