… 2012 is Giddings’ benefit year
GUYANA’S t20 selectee Rajiv Ivan last Sunday carted off over $350 000 in prizes, when the Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club (RHTYSC), who won the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Award for Sports in Guyana for 2011, held its 22nd annual awards ceremony at the Anexxe Restaurant.
Also receiving awards were Erva Giddings, who became the first female cricket from Berbice to represent the West Indies and in whose name the year 2012 is being dedicated, Khemraj Mahadeo, Shawn Pereira and 13-year-old Brandon Prashad who scored his first career ton the previous day.
Prior to the presentation of awards to the respective personnel, Secretary/Chief Executive Officer of the club Hilbert Foster regaled those gathered at the venue to witness the day’s proceedings, including former Guyana and West Indies captain Clive Lloyd on the history of the club and its achievements over the past year.
Lloyd delivered the feature remarks to the audience that also included Basil Butcher, Bissoondyal Singh, Guyana Teachers Union president Colin Bynoe who delivered the remarks for patron of the club Beverley Harper and former president of the Berbice Cricket Board Malcolm Peters.
However, while sounds of oohs and aahs reverberated around the venue when Foster announced the prizes being given to Mahadeo who copped the runner-up position to Ivan, it was louder when the Secretary/CEO made the announcement of Ivan’s spoils.
It included one Lazy Boy, a trip to the Interior (a destination of his choice) by Tour R Us, a silver band from Steve’s Jewellery, one MP3/MP4 car player, DVD player, collection of hampers and a wide variety of electronic home equipment along with designer clothing from John Lewis Styles.
Mahadeo did not receive as much as Ivan when it came to the individual prizes, but his totalled $200 000, a testament of the club’s way of rewarding its players for the hard work and dedication during the previous year which saw them lose just one first division encounter while dominating many.
Ivan himself played an integral role in ensuring the club won the Berbice Cricket Board-organised, Ramcharitar Construction-sponsored first division tournament, while he engineered the victory which saw them retain the Busta Champion of Champions title, earning for himself the man-of-the-match award on both occasions.
Speaking to Chronicle Sport after receiving his spoils from Lloyd, Ivan said he was pleased to have been nominated and later to have won the Player-of-the-Year title, saying his hard work and commitment towards the game is paying off gradually.
Apart from the Cricketer-of-the-Year title, Ivan also carted off the Gizmos and Gadgets first division Bowler and Cricketer-of-the-Year awards, after Mahadeo won the Batsman-of-the-Year award for that same division.
Giddings was a multiple winner as well, carting off the Metro Female and Bakewell second division Bowler-of-the-Year award, to go along with her Benefit Year announcement which saw her take home a diamond encrusted gold medallion compliments of King’s Jewellery World and an undisclosed amount of cash.
Nicholas Cameron was named the Farfan and Mendes Under-15 Batsman and Cricketer-of-the-Year with Daniel Lewis the Bowler-of-the-Year, Shailendra Shameer the Bakewell Under-17 Bowler-of-the-Year and Devin Baldeo Batsman- and Cricketer-of-the-Year.
Dominic Rikhi won the Pepsi Under-19 Batsman-of-the-Year even as Pereira, stand-in first division skipper in the absence of West Indies selectee and regular skipper Assad Fudadin, took home the Bowler- and Cricketer-of-the-Year awards for that category.
Shemaine Campbelle picked up the Metro Batter-of-the-Year award and a special prize for her West Indies selection, Jason Sinclair the Bakewell second division Batsman- and Cricketer-of-the-Year and Kumar Madray the Most Committed Member award.
Other awardees with their categories in brackets were Lenny Sanichar (Disciplined Player, Male), Nermala Sewdat (Disciplined Player, Female), Prashad (Most Promising Player), Eon Hooper (Fielder-of-the-Year), Clinton Pestano (Most Improved) and Ravi Narine and Moonish Singh (Workers-of-the-Year).
Jacqueline Singh and Hermala Sewdat (Female softball batter and bowler), Fudadin for his West Indies selection and Calvin Jeffrey, Jason Anderson, V. Senwasie and Phaffiana Millington who all received medallions as Promising players of the club.