YOUTH cricketers, male and female, along the East Coast corridor, will convene at the Lusignan Community Centre on Monday at 08:00 hrs when the East Coast Cricket Board (ECCB) launches the 15th edition of their annual Cricket Academy. Director of Sport Christopher Jones is expected to deliver the feature address and consequently declare the proceedings open.
Activities will be held under the theme ‘Cricket – Professionalism and Healthy Lifestyle,’ and are for children 12-17 years old.
Over fifty aspiring cricketers, drawn from Ogle to Abary, are expected to participate in the programme.
Organisers have also intimated that participants will enjoy interaction with senior and former national cricketers who will be present at the forum.
While there, the seniors will introduce the youngsters to the techniques of the sport while sharing their experiences on the national field.
Several resource persons will entertain thought-provoking discussions on cricket-related and other topics during the proceedings.
Persons will include a statistician, who will speak on the history of West Indies cricket. National umpire Davteerth Anandjit will discuss the laws of cricket and umpiring, while a qualified scorer will deal with the intricacies of the scoring system.
Officers from the Cove and John Police Station will tutor the aspiring cricketers on road safety practices, while former executive of the Guyana Cricket Board, Ronald Williams, will discuss careers in cricket and discipline.
Participants will also receive tutoring in drugs and sports (Darshanand Rampersaud), Importance of Education (former school senior master Judister Rampersaud. Other topics will include Leadership and Sportsmanship, HIV and Teenage Sex, Food and Nutrition, Social Etiquette/Grooming and Discipline.
It must be noted the more than twenty-three participants who have attended the ECCB Annual Academy over the years went on to represent Guyana with distinction.
The organisers are indeed grateful for the support received from the corporate community over the years and wish to express heartfelt gratitude to those individuals and organisations that have made this event possible.
These include Ansa McAl, B.M. Soat Auto Sales, Trophy Stall, Global Manufacturing Company (Marvex Bleach), NIDECA Investments, Elizabeth Styles, Bissan’s Trading, Mirza Khan, Bibi Samaroo Trading (Lethem), Yadram Distributions, D. Singh and Sons General Stores, Deodat Sooklall Investments and the executives and members of the many clubs along the East Coast.
Activities will be coordinated by secretary of the ECCB Mr Judister Rampersaud.
Clubs, parents and guardians are asked to make contact via telephone as early as possible for the necessary information on registration. Judister Rampersaud 259-0308, Raymond Barton 626-0223 and Davteerth Anandjit 617-8502.