“TWENTY-TWO years ago, it was a dream to make a difference but today it is not only a reality, since without doubt, the Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club (RHTYSC) is the most dynamic and progressive youth and sports club Guyana has ever seen.” Those were the opening remarks of Hilbert Foster, Secretary/Chief Executive Officer of RHTYSC, who was at the time addressing his audience at the 22nd annual awards ceremony hosted by the club at the Annexe Restaurant in Rose Hall, Corentyne on Sunday April 22.
According to the burly Foster, 22 years of sheer hard work, dedication and visionary leadership have produced an organisation whose activities and achievements would be hard to match in the future and which have touched and changed the lives of thousands upon thousands of youths, the elderly and less fortunate.
Former Guyana and West Indies skipper Clive Lloyd, who delivered the feature address, Basil Butcher, president of the Guyana Teachers Union Colin Bynoe and other invited guests and awardees were given a synopsis on the club’s achievements over the past year by Foster.
“The history of the club and its achievements are well documented and I do not need to go over that again, as each one of us gathered here today is aware of it.
However, what I can say is that never in a million years did the founders of this club imagine that the simple cricket club which they founded in 1990, would develop into such a dynamic organisation that undertakes a record-breaking 130 activities and programmes per year,” stated Foster.
He added that the period between January 2011 and April 2012, was the most fruitful for the club which won the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Award for Sports in Guyana for 2011 and, even though they had a burglary days before, the awards ceremony was hosted.
“During that time, we played and won several Berbice Cricket Board (BCB) organised tournaments, losing only one match in the entire year, with some of the trophies won being the Universal DVD t20, Busta Cup, Tenelec Under-15 and Ramcharitar Construction first division.
Added to that, we have reached the final of the Leslie Amsterdam Memorial Under-17 and quarterfinals of the New Building Society second division competition, while we ended in the runner-up position to Albion in the Spready’s Bakery Under-19 competition,” Foster stated.
He added, “Fifteen members represented the Lower Corentyne District at the junior level, while a further 24 represented Berbice at all levels and a further 14 (male and female) represented Guyana at various levels during the abovementioned period, with two players, Shemaine Campbelle and Assad Fudadin, going on to represent the West Indies at various levels as well.
Fudadin scored two tons in this year’s West Indies first class season and finished as the second highest run-scorer behind Narsingh Deonarine, Shawn Pereira captained Berbice Under-19 team, Fudadin the 2011 Guyana senior team, Campbelle the Berbice and Guyana female teams and Royston Crandon the Guyana t20 team against Trinidad and Tobago.”
Foster said the club, in collaboration with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, donated over $10M in clothing, new born, educational and hygiene kits over the past year to the less fortunate, while they won a total of nine awards at the Berbice Cricket Board awards ceremony.
“Ladies and gentlemen, we are proud of our work in the past year and the icing on the cake was when we won the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Sports Awards for 2011, which His Excellency President Donald Ramotar handed over to our patron.
Our successes would not have been possible without the support of our numerous sponsors and donors who are too numerous to mention, but to whom I say a special thank you, especially to Ansa McAl, DDL, Western Union, Sterling Products, Bakewell, Gizmos and Gadgets, Farfan and Mendes, Banks DIH and Metro,, just to name a few,” said Foster.
Approximately two weeks before the club hosted the awards ceremony, which saw Guyana T20 selectee Rajiv Ivan walk away with the Cricketer-of-the-Year award, burglars carted off over $2M in prizes from the club, but Foster said it was not a deterrent.
“The year started off badly, as we lost two members to death, several equipment were destroyed by a Guyana Power and Light power surge, while the burglars left us with a rebuilding process.
“Despite all this, we were determined to make the best use of what we have, even though we were forced to spend huge amount of funds to undertake urgent repairs to the club’s office and by God’s grace in whom we have strong faith, we are confident that we shall not only remain the best, but we shall get even better,” stated Foster.
In closing, he said all members of the club should be proud to be a part of perhaps the best youth and sports organisation Guyana has ever had, while imploring that they must strive for excellence at all times and never lower the standards.
“Laziness must never be a part of us and everyday we have to come up with new ideas if we want to remain relevant, as this club would have no place for lazy, corrupt, visionless or selfish people and as long as I remain Secretary/CEO, I wish to reassure everyone of you, that the club would remain the best.”