TORONTO, Canada — In 2003, a Rovendra Madholall XI, representing the Ontario Softball Cricket League (OSCL) defeated a Guyana side led by the durable Dharam Persaud at the Ellsemere ground here to emerge winners of the first-ever Americas Cup softball tournament, organised by the said OSCL whose president at the time was Kenny Girdharry.Twelve years on, both Madholall and Persaud will be donning colours once more in what is expected to be a fiercely contested inaugural Toronto Cup tournament, set for this weekend in Scarborough.

While the 2003 Americas Cup was an Open competition, the inaugural Toronto Cup will be played in two categories with the Masters being included.
This year’s tournament has also seen a change in the organisers with the Ontario Masters Softball Cricket Clubs (OMSCC) taking charge and while Madholall will again feature in the OSCL Open team, the veteran Persaud will represent the Guyana Floodlights Softball Cricket Association (GFSCA) in the Masters category.
Today, the Sports Desk takes a look at most of the returning players from the Americas Cup, played in October, 2003.
Foremost among them is the 2003 Most Valuable Player (MVP), Javed ‘White Boy’ Ali who migrated to the USA just before that tournament was played but still represented his homeland Guyana.
The dynamic Ally, who also took away the prize for the bowler taking the most wickets in the tournament (15), also dazzled spectators throughout the three days with some spectacular fielding that at times left many astounded and spellbound. This time around he will be playing for the New York Softball Cricket League (NYSCL).
The prize for the MVP in the final for the Guyana team went to Muniram Karran for his fine 51 while Zaheer Haniff, who is likely to turn out for the Cove/Masters combination in the Open division, was the recipient on the OSCL side for his blazing unbeaten 55. Haniff is a former National Under-19 player. Karran is part of the OSCL 13-man squad.
Another key player is Mahendranauth ‘Bobby’ Parasnauth who played for Guyana in 2003 but is now resident in Ontario and will skipper Our Own Sports Club in the Masters category. His brother Rabindranauth also finds himself in a similar position.
Bobby has been a phenomenal softball player over the years and is one of the most feared bowlers in the OMSCC, his team winning an incredible 50 plus games without suffering a loss.
The East Coast-born Parasnauth, who is serving as the coordinator for the overseas team, is credited with being the only all-rounder in Guyana to have scored a hundred and captured five or more wickets in the same game, 107 not out and six for 15 against Canal IX.
Former Guyana Under-19 batsman Ejaz Mohamed is also making a return, this time under the banner of Cove/Masters in the Open competition after playing for Guyana in 2003. Mohamed recently steered Cricketers Cove to victory over Dant in the OSCL 15/15 final.
Another former West Indies and Guyana Under-19 batsman Hemnarine Chattergoon, a member of the victorious OSCL team in 2003, is one of the key players in Dant’s pursuit of claiming the Open title this time around, so too is Aftab Shamshudeen who is reportedly coming out of retirement to play for the same team.
Known as one of the most dangerous bowlers in the OSCL, Satrohan ‘Blade’ Balkarran is expected to play a major role for Dant, switching from the OSCL which he represented the last time.
Seasoned and versatile campaigner Khemraj ‘Vicky’ Subkharran who played for the NYSCL in 2003 has changed his allegiance to the New York Enforcers and is a player to keep an eye on.
Apart from Dharam Persaud, other known players returning with the GSFCA are Rickey ‘4R’ Deonarine, Lakeram ‘Mike’ Singh of Mike’s Pharmacy fame and Asif Ally.
It should also be noted that former Canadian World Cup player Desmond Chumney, who served as the man-of-the-match adjudicator in the 2003 final, will be in a different role this time around, representing Our Own Sports Club in the Masters category.
Among the eight set to vie for supremacy in the Masters division are two teams from the GFSCA, New York Softball Cricket League (NYSCL). New York Muslim Softball Cricket Association, Our Own Sports Club, Caribbean Sensation and a team from the OMSCC. The latter three are based in Toronto.
The Open category comprises six – NYSCL, New York Enforcers, Ontario Softball Cricket League (OSCL) X1, Caribbean Sensation All Stars, Dant Sports Club and Masters/Cove Sports Club.
The welcoming ceremony will be held at the Tropical Nights Restaurant and Lounge, Morningside Avenue, (at Sheppard), Scarborough, starting at 19:00hrs on Thursday, September 3, setting the stage for the commencement of the tournament the following morning. The final will take place at the University of Toronto ground, Scarborough.

By Frederick Halley