Guyanese Ave Mogan proud of Canada’s Cricket Hall of Fame recognition
Ave Mogan
Ave Mogan

By Frederick Halley
DURING what was considered the “good old days,” when hundreds came out in their numbers to witness the Case, Northcote and White Cup cricket matches in and around Georgetown in the 1970s, one female stood out among the men. That female was a fragile 14 year old whose father thought she was good enough to don whites in the male- dominated environment. Almost three decades after, the name Ave Mogan is synonymous with women’s cricket in Canada, becoming the first woman to be inducted into Canada’s Cricket Hall of Fame, an achievement she describes as being “fantastic,” not only for Canadian cricket, but for Guyana,The West Indies and internationally.”
“I couldn’t believe it. I was shocked to be among the other inductees, but it was truly an honour to be rewarded for the efforts throughout the years,” said the unassuming Morgan.
It all started at the South Georgetown Secondary School in 1975, when Ave was the lone female student in her school’s team for three consecutive years in the Secondary Schools Under-16 tournament. She was also a member of the Everest Cricket Club, but after failing to make the club’s team, her father took her to Sproston’s, where she turned out for the club’s Northcote Cup side.
By 1977, she was already in the Guyana National women’s team and subsequently was a member of the West Indies women’s side between 1977 and 1979.
Still living and breathing cricket, Mogan migrated to Canada shortly after, but the left-handed opener, who also bowls off-spin, never quit playing the game. In fact, she served in several administrative capacities, including that of coach. And she has no intention of quitting any time soon, once she remains healthy.
Mogan is credited with establishing and being the co-founder of organised women’s cricket in Toronto, Canada, the first female at the age of 17, to participate in the Toronto & District Association (TDCA) men’s league in various divisions. She also skippered Canada’s first-ever national women’s squad in 1996. She also had the honour of leading the team in 2005 and 2007 and was vice-captain of the North American women’s cricket team in 2003.
The versatile Mogan also served on the selection committee for Canada women’s cricket squad, co-founded and established Canada’s first organised women’s cricket club and successfully revived and rebuilt the women’s cricket programme in Canada, starting in 2003.
In 2004, she was decorated Best Women’s Cricket Coordinator in the International Cricket Council (ICC) Americas Region and led the Canadian Women’s cricket squad to their first Americas Women’s Cricket title in 2007.
In the interim, Mogan also secured coaching certificates, the first in 1995, the Level One Technical from the Canadian Cricket Association (CCA) and in 2010, the ICC Level One accreditation.

Over the years, Mogan has been associated with among others, Kaisoca Women’s Cricket Club, T&D Women’s Cricket League, Ontario Cricket Association (OCA), women’s cricket coordinator, Ontario, Canadian Women’s Cricket Association, vice-president and CCA Liaison. Women’s cricket, acting treasurer of Caribbean Limers Association and currently a prominent member of Qasra Women’s Cricket club.
Mogan’s latest association was with the Kaisoca Cricket Club as an associate player, while lending her expertise with the boys’ Under-13 team in a few of the matches in the Scarborough Cricket Association (SCA) Women’s Division inaugural tournament in the 2015 season.
While admitting she’s in the twilight of her illustrious career and “has taken a back seat,” Mogan is hoping that her club, Qasra, will be part of the tournament in the 2016 season and even if she’s not playing, will be around to encourage other women to participate.
Mogan also lamented the fact that since the cessation of the ICC Americas Cup, which featured teams from the USA, Brazil, Argentina and Canada, there hasn’t been an international competition for women in these countries. She deemed this as “very unfortunate.” She’s however pleased with the continued growth of women’s cricket in Guyana and the West Indies.
Mogan paid respects to the late Eileen Cox, whom she described as the person mainly responsible for the development of women’s cricket in her homeland during the 1970s – 1980s, describing her as a true advocate of the game.

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