THE ROSE Hall Town Youth and Sports Club (RHTYSC) and the Guyana Beverage Company Limited last Sunday launched the 11th edition of the Busta ‘Champion of Champions’ Tournament which will be contested among the top eight teams in the Ancient County of Berbice. 

The tournament which has been organised by the RHTYSC since 2009 is one of the most popular cricket tournaments in Berbice and many teams have looked forward to it over the years, including the red hot Albion Community Centre team, who have been sweeping all competitions in the Ancient County of late.
Club Secretary/CEO Hilbert Foster at the launching announced that this year’s tournament would be contested by defending champions Rose Hall Town Gizmos and Gadgets (RHTGG), West Berbice, Blairmont, Bermine, Young Warriors, Port Mourant and Upper Corentyne.
The 50 overs per side tournament would start on Sunday, November 23, with four first-round matches at venues across Berbice. Upper Corentyne will clash with the RHTGG at the Area ’H’, West Berbice will meet Blairmont at Blairmont, Young Warriors and Port Mourant face each other at Cumberland, and Bermine go up against Albion at the Albion Cricket Ground.
According to Foster, the standard of cricket is expected to be high as most of the country’s top players would be playing, even though several of them such as Assad Fudadin, Devindra Bishoo, Veerasammy Permaul, Anthony Bramble and Narsingh Deonarine would be unavailable due to national duties.
However, such players of the calibre of Jonathan Foo, Sewnarine Chattergoon, Royston Crandon, Jason Sinclair, Anthony D’Andrade, Raun Johnson, Eon Hooper, and Lloydel Lewis would be involved for their respective teams.
Foster expressed gratitude to both Robert Selman and Ms Shamiza Yadram of Busta for their support and also pledged that the tournament would be well organised while fulfilling all of its objectives, as the Club aims to spread and promote its “No to Suicide and No to Drugs” message to youths.
Selman, who is the General Manager of the Guyana Beverage Company, expressed his gratitude to the RHTYSC for its excellence in organising the tournament over the years, saying the Busta brand has been well promoted due to the tournament.
The tournament in its 10-year history has never had a problem and Selman expressed confidence that this year’s tournament would be the same while he encouraged the eight teams to play the game in a friendly environment and expressed the hope that new talents would emerge.
The winning team would receive $100 000 and a trophy, the runners-up $50 000 and a trophy while the Man-of-the-Final would take home $15 000 and a trophy.
The tournament is expected to be aired live on NCN Radio and will be contested under lights at the Albion Sports Complex.