GRACE Kennedy Remittance Service (GKRS), the home of Western Union and Bill Express, continued their support of the Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club’s (RHTYSC) Junior Cricketer Ambassador Programme yesterday for the fourth consecutive year, handing over $305 000 to five junior cricketers with cricketing gear at their Company’s head office on Water Street. Looking at the present state of West Indies cricket, Secretary/Chief Executive Officer of RHTYSC Hilbert Foster said the game needs a massive investment at all levels if it has a chance in hell to raise itself from its current low status.
“Over the years, we depend heavily on the raw talents of our players to dominate but the age of technology has caught up with us and we are so far behind that it would take a miracle for us to catch up.
Both the RHTYSC and its parent company the Berbice Cricket Board, over the years, have been making great effort to not only catch up with the technological age we are living in, but also stay ahead as we strive to remain the best in Guyana and at large, the West Indies,” stated Foster.
Foster said his club strongly believes in investing in youths and has done so heavily over the years, as they are the future.
Over the past three years, GKRS investment in Berbice cricketing stars has played a great part in their development and is, at the same time, assisting the RHTYSC and the BCB to lift the game higher.
In closing, Foster said, “It is with pride that I inform GKRS of our club (RHTYSC) being the recipient of an International Olympic Association Award from the Guyana Olympic Association and with cricket not being an Olympic sport, it is a major achievement for the club to be recognised in such a way.”
He thanked the sponsors for the yeoman service shown to the club over the years and informed them that their latest award is being shared with everyone at GKRS, as their input helped the club to be recognised.
Marketing Manager Natheeah King- Mendonca said her Company was very pleased and honoured to support RHTYSC, having taken the initiative to do so in 2009, when they decided to support the young cricketers in that community.
The RHTYSC/Western Union Junior Cricketer Ambassador Programme was formed and from that time to now, GKRS has made it their commitment to provide the young cricketers with cricket gear and education assistance.
According to King-Mendonca, this year’s programme will be one with a difference, as GKRS will be supplying the cricket gear to the five players, (4 male and 1 female) while RHTYSC will be taking care of their educational supplies, as the cost has risen.
“There have been some growth and development in the cricketers, which we at GKRS are very pleased to hear, as we would like to know that we are investing wisely, as we would not like to know that we are investing in young people and we cannot see the rewards or benefits.
“One thing I wish to bring to the table is the points of Commitment and Discipline and I wish to address specifically, our Young Ambassadors here today” said King-Mendonca.
Highlighting her delight to see one of the recipients for this year’s programme is a female, King-Mendonca charged the recipients to let their character display who they are.
“Discipline is the key and if you are not disciplined, you will not be tolerated and I think that is the downfall of some of our young sportsmen and women today. We as sponsors have gone the length and breadth for you guys and all we ask for is results, but we don’t want it without commitment.
“We don’t want any young individual who is making representation for our brand, not to have discipline as it is an international brand which must be upheld. We invest lots of money in you and we want to see the results.”
She committed her Company’s support to the programme and while challenging the players to go forward, she told Foster that next year this time they will be meeting again to make another presentation of this nature, while urging him to have a few more female players involved.
The five young players who received the cricketing gear are 13-year-old Plaffiana Millington, Shawn Pereira and Omar Madray (RHTYSC), Linden Austin (Young Warriors) and Gudakesh Motie-Kanhai (Albion.)