FOR the past thirty years Guyana Trinidad Mutual Ltd (GTM) has been an avid partner of the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) and yesterday it continued its long relationship when it launched the GTM U-19 three-day and one-day tournaments.

Thirty years and counting! GTM Fire Manager, Nadia Sagar, hands over the cheque for $3.1 million to GCB president Chetram Singh as Company Secretary and HR Manager of GTM, Edward Persico, (right) looks on. Also looking on are GCB executives. (Sonell Nelson photo)

The 50-over round-robin competition commences on the April 30 at Everest.

Yesterday GTM handed over a cheque for $3.1 million to the GCB president Chetram Singh at the company’s headquarters on Robb and Hinck Streets. Also present at the presentation ceremony were other top executives of the GCB including the vice-president Bissoondial Singh.

According to Company Secretary and Human Resource Manager of the company, Edward Persico, the tournament affords young cricketers an opportunity to develop their cricketing skills. Therefore, the company is pleased to be involved in the development of cricket in Guyana, especially where the youths are concerned.

He noted that recently the West Indies cricket team has shown fight and vigour with its gradual resurgence in world cricket.

Further, he stated that world-rated Guyanese batsmen Ramnaresh Sarwan and Shivnarine Chanderpaul, along with all the other players in the current Guyana team, have played and benefited from the GTM tournament over the years.

With this point, Singh concurred that the tournament has been a youth movement for young cricketers in Guyana especially since there were not other national age-group tournaments like U-15 and U-17.

He explained that U-19 cricket was the launching pad for international cricket exposure and fame. In the past he posited that the GTM U-19 competition was vital to the development of cricket around Guyana.

Singh, in his brief remarks, stated that Essequibo has been considered to host games because the GCB has recently completed a hostel in the Cinderella County.

He also mentioned that Essequibo will have a chance to strengthen its cricket and become a lot more competitive in national championships.