FOR the past 14 years, players of the calibre of Assad Fudadin, Shemaine Campbelle, Royston Crandon, Esaun Crandon, Erva Giddings, Renwick Batson and Dominic Rikhi, just to name a few, have emerged from the Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club’s (RHTYSC) cricket academy. Yesterday at a simple presentation ceremony held in the conference room of TCL (Guyana) Incorporated that entity became the latest business entity from corporate Guyana to partner with the country’s most successful youth and sports club, by sponsoring this year’s Academy.
Prior to presenting the sponsorship cheque to Ronson Lawson, a member of RHTYSC, TCL’s Plant Manager Mark Bender told his audience which included RHTYSC’s Secretary/Chief Executive Officer Hilbert Foster that his company had no hesitation in partnering with the club after an internal discussion.
“Mr Foster and I met at the Guyana Olympic Association awards last year and he spoke to me about coming on board as a sponsor for this academy and I told him for sure that is something we can get on board with.
“Subsequently we received an official letter and having discussed it, we decided we will be supporting this venture,” said Bender.
TCL has been playing a part with regard to cricket in the Caribbean, having sponsored the West Indies Cricket Board Regional Under-19 competition in recent years. Hence their involvement in sports is nothing new.
“One of the things that really impressed us about this academy is that the scope goes beyond cricket, as it instils in the participants, life’s value and this is something we took into consideration when we decided to sponsor the academy and I am sure we will consider being on board in the future.”
Bender took the opportunity to congratulate the Area ‘H’-based club for their success over the years, even as they try their utmost to keep the young people in the township of Rose Hall, away from the ills that have been plaguing society of late.
According to Foster, the Academy, which is being organised by the club’s Cricket Development Committee (CDC) and its various teams, would be held from July 9 to 20 and will be catering for a total of 120 young cricketers, both male and female between the ages of 8 to 18 years.
A battery of coaches, including Michael Hyles Franco, Winston Smith and Delbert Hicks, would conduct the academy, imparting their knowledge on such topics as HIV/AIDS, Drug Abuse, Role of a Sports Ambassador, Public Speaking, Personal Hygiene and Peer Pressure among others, to the participants.
At the end of the Academy, a graduation ceremony will be held where outstanding students, including Best Batsman, Bowler, Most Disciplined, Most Committed, Best Attendance and Cricketer of the Academy will be honoured.
“The management of RHTYSC is confident that the TCL Cricket Academy would achieve all its objectives and we would be able to identify another Assad Fudadin from the Class of 2012, come July 20.
“We would like to personally thank Mr Bender and Mr Eric Whaul (TCL’s Marketing Manager), for the sponsorship of this Academy, which at the same time saw an investment in the future of Rose Hall, Berbice, Guyana and to an extent, West Indies cricket,” concluded Foster.