HAVING started a successful partnership two years ago for the second DJ Stress T20 Festival, the Berbice Cricket Board has once again teamed up with Universal DVD Club and Universal Solutions, this time to run off two T20 tournaments for their male and female teams. The New Amsterdam-based company handed over a cheque valued $500 000 to the BCB, for the two tournaments which will be played amongst first division teams in both the male and female categories sometime next month.
Public Relations Officer and Chairman of the BCB Special Events Committee, Hilbert Foster, at the official launching which was held at the BCB’s office, praised the sponsor for investing in Berbice cricket while saying the BCB was seeking a sponsor for their T20 competitions a long time.
The Female 20/20 Tournament would involve Rose Hall Town Metro and New Amsterdam/West Berbice, with the two teams playing two matches on a home-and-away basis, with the victorious team receiving $25 000.
The male tournament would involve teams from West Berbice, Blairmont, Bermine, Edinburgh, Police, Young Warriors, Albion, Rose Hall Town, Port Mourant and Skeldon and they will be divided into two groups and matches would be played on a round-robin basis.
Foster disclosed that the winner would receive $60 000 and a championship trophy while the runners-up would take home $30 000, with the BCB using the tournament to select the Ancient County team for the upcoming Guyana Cricket Board Inter-county tournament.
According to Foster, with players of the calibre of Assad Fudadin, Royston Crandon, Devendra Bishoo, Veerasammy Permaul, Brandon Bess, Esaun Crandon, Jonathan Foo, Richard Ramdeen among others expected to play, an exciting tournament is forecast.
President of the BCB, Keith Foster, expressed gratitude to Vickram Seubarran of Universal DVD and Universal Solutions for his sponsorship while noting that the company over the years has been a strong supporter of Berbice cricket.
The elder Foster noted the progress of cricket under his administration, stating that cricket in being played at all levels thus allowing the county’s game to develop new and exciting talents.
Treasurer of the BCB, Anil Beharry, one of the persons responsible for acquiring the sponsorship urged the players to take full advantage to showcase their T20 talents as the BCB was determined to reward outstanding performance with selection to the Berbice senior team.
Beharry also hailed the relationship that the Board enjoys with the company noting the success Berbice enjoyed at the recently held Hits and Jams tournament.
Sales Supervisor of Universal Solutions Shemika Moore who spoke on behalf of Seubarran, expressed pleasure at being associated with the leading cricket board in Guyana, saying her Company understood its role as a corporate body and how important it was to give back to society.
Sports, she said was a safe avenue for youths to be involved in and praised the BCB for the outstanding role it was playing in the development of the game in Guyana, while saying her company would continue to invest into Berbice cricket as it was confident that the county would continue to dominate in the future.